Tunnels of vermilion torii (spiritual gates) at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a famous Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan.

Tunnels of vermilion torii (spiritual gates) at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a famous Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan. The shrine predates the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of Japan. Japan first appeared in written history in the Chinese Book of Han, completed in 111 AD. Shinto remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism (which was introduced in the 500s AD). Senbon Torii (meaning "one thousand torii gates") is the name for the tunnel system of bright vermilion gates covering a wooded trail network leading up 233-meter-tall Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, honored in many statues. The torii are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate.

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Contained in galleries: JAPAN 2024 favorites, 2024 Oct: JAPAN all, Kyoto, Highlights 2024

Tunnels of vermilion torii (spiritual gates) at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a famous Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan. The shrine predates the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of Japan. Japan first appeared in written history in the Chinese Book of Han, completed in 111 AD. Shinto remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism (which was introduced in the 500s AD). Senbon Torii (meaning "one thousand torii gates") is the name for the tunnel system of bright vermilion gates covering a wooded trail network leading up 233-meter-tall Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, honored in many statues. The torii are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate.