Fushimi Inari-taisha

The lower approach is a normal city shrine; once you climb into the mountain, the torii begin to form a tunnel of red-orange light that recedes into the forest as you climb.

The walk reveals itself in layers: the outer shrine, the cluster of small sub-shrines, then the long climb to the summit area, with stone foxes and miniature altars along the way.

Late in the day the colour of the torii deepens in the long shadows; the path is still busy at the bottom but quietens noticeably as you walk further up.

It is the head shrine of Inari worship in Japan, dedicated to the kami of rice, prosperity and business; the devotion is centuries old and still active.

The torii and its four satellite sub-tori represent Mount Meru in classical cosmology, with thousands of gates donated by individuals and businesses creating a continuous red-orange landscape.

It sits inside an urban hill; the walk combines forest, mountain and the southern Kyoto skyline in a single short excursion from the city.