Advice,  Japan

10 (Probably) Unknown Points of Interest in Kyoto

Walking along the river that passes in front of Fushimi Inari Taisha

What is it?
An easy and varied stroll close to famous locations!
An easy and varied stroll close to famous locations!

Fushimi Inari Taisha is among the “must see” places in Kyoto. Most visitors using public transport get there with the Keihan or JR train line and stop at Fushimi Inari station, before crossing on foot a beautiful vermilion bridge on their way to the shrine.

But how many take the time to walk alongside the river that runs under that bridge? Very few if I am to believe the rare people I’ve met there. And yet it’s an easy, gorgeous and varied walk: it’s mostly flat, with a beautiful river and many small bridges crossing over it (which make it easy to switch bank and take great pictures). The path leads us through various residential areas (full of silence or kids’ laughters), areas with more vegetation and small temples and it’s easy to take a side road to stop by Fushimi Inari Taisha or the Tofuku-ji, before resuming our journey. There are also several restaurants, cafés, handcrafts stores etc. on the way.

Access

The easiest option is either to start north by taking the Keihan line to Tofuku-ji station, or south at Sumizome station. From there you only need to follow the water.

Yes, the river actually continues past both points, but the missing bits aren’t really interesting and skipping them will make your life easier (but if you’re like me and just have to see it all, then read the “Advice” section below).

Advice
This is an interesting walk no matter the weather (except perhaps when there’s a typhoon!), but at night the street lights on each bank are reflected in the water and make it all mysterious and magical – a bit like studio Ghibli’s famous film “Spirited Away”!
As for walking north to south or south to north, both work. So just decide whether you intend to connect with the part I introduced previously (Kamo River, located north) and whether you want to stop by Tofuku-ji before closing time (Fushimi Inari Taisha is open 24 hours a day).
Also remember to stop by Dragon burger, right next to Tofuku-ji station, to taste what some call the best burgers in Kyoto! I don’t necessarily agree (I think Upit Burger is better!) but they certainly offer interesting flavors inspired by Japanese ingredients!

Finally, for those who don’t want to skip anything as I suggested: start north at Shichijo station and walk south until you reach the river. Stay on its east bank (the west one will turn into a road that is dangerous for pedestrians) and follow the path even when it leads you away from the water – you need to go around a pretty ugly chemical plant. Just make sure you go south towards Tofuku-ji station as soon as you can. Once you reach it, walk westward under a huge bridge until you reach the water again.
If you’re starting south then begin at Tembabashi station and walk about 10mn north until you reach “Fushimi Incline” – the starting point. Follow the stream until you reach the huge bridge near Tofuku-ji station, then go east to get to the actual station. Walk north alongside it to go around the plant, then as soon as you can follow the road that goes west and brings you back to the river.

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