Shrines may not on paper seem like the most family friendly of places but no visit to Kyoto with kids is complete without a visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. Let’s be honest – it has to be one of those places near the top of any japan bucket list! So with this in mind we put our little one in her stroller and headed to the beautiful Fushimi Inari shrine but was it family friendly? 

What is Fushimi Inari Shrine?

In short, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the most beautiful shrine in Japan in my opinion. It has to be on any japan bucket list! It is the head shrine of the Inari. It sits at the base of Mount Inari and thousands of torii gates can be followed up to the summit of the mountain.

Practicalities of visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine with kids?

If you are visiting with children there are things that you might want to consider:

Visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine in Summer?

• In the summer Fushimi Inari Taisha gets really hot and humid. You may want to plan your day around the heat to make sure your little ones are as comfortable as possible. Also remember to take plenty of snacks and more importantly water.

• Can you visit Fushimi Inari Shrine with a stroller?

• There are lots of steps (you are climbing a mountain through gates) at the shrine. Despite this we had our stroller with us and had no problem getting around (the lower levels of the gates) at least. If you want to go further up, a carrier would be necessary. The other great thing about the shrine is you can climb as much or as little as you like as there are plenty of points where you can turn around

• Access and How to get to Fushimi Inari Shrine

• There are train and metro stations nearby. Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line (not served by rapid trains). The shrine can also be reached in a short walk from Fushimi Inari Station along the Keihan Main Line which was our chosen route.

Why you should visit Fushimi Inari Taisha with kids

Kids can learn about the culture

There are plenty of ways in which children can learn and engage with the local culture at Inari Shrine. From watching and even taking part at the purifying stations to finding the foxes throughout the walk (foxes are said to be messengers of inure).

You learn about tradition

The shrine is very important to the shinto religion and what I loved was seeing the shrine being used by so many people. In particular I loved all the people visiting in the traditional clothes.

There are plenty of places to blow off steam

While all shrines deserve respect, one of the things I loved about visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha is how tolerant people were of children. In between gates near purifying stations, many children would run around chasing and laughing together. Our little one loved joining in and these spaces are a great place to have a bit of respite between walking the gates up the mountain.

Photo opportunities at Fushimi Inari Shrine

If there is one photo any traveller will want in Japan, I think it will have to be in the blood orange torii or gates of the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Details about visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine

Fushimi Inari-Taisa Shrine
Japan, 〒612-0882 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Fushimi Ward, Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, 68
+81 75-641-7331
No opening or closing hours
Entrance Fee: Free

Have you visited the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine with kids? What are your top tips?

For more ideas about what to do in Kyoto with kids – check out this post!

Need more convincing that Japan is family friendly? Check out our Reasons Why japan should Be top of your family travel bucket list

If you are looking for a Kyoto itinerary this three day itinerary needs to be checked!

Or why not check out these 15 other things you can do in Kyoto