The Fushimi Inari shrine, two stops south of Kyoto Station on the JR Nara line. The main shrine is across the street from Inari station, but the real attraction requires a little exercise. The mountain behind the first buildings is criss-crossed with walking trails lined with tens of thousands of vermillion torii gates, spaced close together to create the effect of moving through a sun-dappled orange tunnel in the midst of an enchanted forest.
The trail of gates leads past ponds and through pine forests, with every step taking one further into the realm of the magical and surreal. Jumbled groups of small stone shrines with carvings of sinister looking animal spirits appear at intervals in clearings along the path, shaded pockets of superstitution, black shadows of burning candles, an embodiment of the mysterious animist roots of the Shinto faith.