Day 11 – Exploring Kyoto’s Thousand Torii Gates with Kids

By now we were very accustomed to living in Kyoto. However, getting to Senbon Torii—commonly known as the Thousand Torii Gates—meant getting on the train from Sanjo Station down to Fushimi-Inari Station. Taking the train in Kyoto was something we hadn’t done yet. Sanjo Station provides brief backroom-esque/liminal space vibes, so when we found a surprisingly well-stocked shop selling local souvenirs and treats, it provided a warmth to what is quite a functional space.

The train wasn’t busy at all, a welcome treat after the journeys to and from USJ, and the kids and I found ourselves right at the front of the train. We had fun watching the train driver (in white gloves and a smart hat no less) snake us through the Kyoto railway line. The train ride was a short one, and even if you missed the announcement of Fushimi-Inari Station, you would recognise it from the theming of the station—red pillars, beams, and kitsune (foxes).


Snacking and Shuffling

Getting off at the station, we were immediately hungry. We had all had breakfast, but you’re assaulted by sweet and savoury smells from every direction. The next thing you’re assaulted by is people (written for comedic purposes—no one was harmed writing this article). There’s no getting away from it, this is a busy tourist site. But while you have to make your way around people, it’s not like you’re stuck at any time. The exception? The toilets. 

DAD HINT - There can be queues for the toilets, so take note of where they are and make sure any little ones go before starting your journey up.

We briefly took in the main shrine, fortunately catching a glimpse of a Shinto ceremony, before joining the throng of people (what is the collective noun for tourists?) for our collective step workout.


Two Halves, One Hill

This game is one of two halves. The experience before and after the halfway point is quite different. The first half of the walk up through the gates isn’t that enjoyable. It isn’t the volume of people, but their behaviour that does, unfortunately, spoil the experience a little. Every other person has their phone and/or camera out, stopping constantly to be photographed or selfie-snap themselves. 

At one point, a man in his late 20s insisted on blocking the stairs while his mate captured the “perfect” photo of him with his sunglasses and puffed-up-and-out sparrow chest. It was a laughable sight to see if it wasn’t so annoying.

It’s a shame because the actual gates, shrines you’ll see along the way, and forest you are walking through could be quite enchanting. But the magic does come, you just have to be patient and relatively fit.

Around halfway up, there’s a point where the signs show a path that loops to the top of the mountain and back down. It stated that it’s another 40-minute walk, with no toilets (I think), and so plenty of people bought drinks in the shop and turned around. After a quick refresh and checking everyone could handle carrying on, we turned right—and now we had the experience you hope for.


A Slice of Zen at the Top

With 60% or so fewer people, you begin to sense the zen-like spirituality of this special place. The birds seem to cheer you on and you take one step after another until you finally arrive at the shrine at the top. There are many shrines along the way, but for those that make a proper pilgrimage, I can imagine it is quite special. For our young family, we felt a wave of accomplishment but also joy for making it to the top.

But what goes up must come down, and naturally it’s a hell of a lot easier doing so. There were special moments in the descent too: a souvenir shop that also sold boiled eggs while burning wood to make charcoal; a shrine half buried into a stream with moss growing all over the small statues and gates. Amazingly, we were even lucky enough to see another Shinto ceremony at one of the bigger shrines on the hill. Around 10 businessmen, dressed in black and navy suits, were all queuing and bowing behind a Shinto priest who enacted a ceremony, waving incense all the while. It was a fascinating scene, and you couldn’t help thinking that nothing like this would occur in the UK.

For our secular country, I imagine most would consider that a good thing. But imagine if the business of your country had a ceremony to remind them they were part of that country? Well, you might get a free drink and meal at a restaurant like we did at the end of our mountain walk!


Free Beer!?!

OK that didn’t happen—I did have to pay—but enjoying lunch in the relaxed atmosphere of the Vermillion Café is everything you need after the Thousand Gates walk appears on your Achievements.

And just for you lucky people, I wore my Garmin, set ‘Walk’ at the bottom of the hill, and here are the results (step count was 7384 for this session):


Is it worth all the steps, the sweat, the selfie-dodging? Yes, 100%. If you can do the walk (you need to be relatively fit), dress well for the heat and effort, take at least one bottle of water, and go Totoro hunting!


Royal Host and Gion Nights

The afternoon we rested, and as evening meant more walking, a slap-up meal was called for. After some window shopping in Kyoto Takashimaya Shopping Center, Royal Host was chosen to host us (hohoho) for our evening meal. It’s a family restaurant with the usual tablet ordering method at the table. Unlike most of the tablets we had used previously, this one didn’t have an English menu. But we were well versed in using our Google Translate app, and our Japanese-Western food arrived quickly.

With James now comfortable eating Japanese flavours, it meant exciting opportunities lay ahead of us. But first we had more sights to see—walking around the Gion district at night and visiting the Yasaka Shrine. Naturally these are busy destinations, even at nighttime. My wife was really interested in viewing the area, but to be honest, it’s been renovated, and without actually going into one of the Geisha venues, I didn’t see the point.

However I was wrong! Taking the long way, exploring the quiet alleyways, I could finally see the appeal. Even more so when we caught a glimpse of chefs and a geisha holding a party in one of the buildings. As you should, we refrained from taking any photos and, appreciating our luck once more, pressed on to Yasaka Shrine.It is one of the easiest destinations to see, with the entrance at the end of one of the main streets on that side of the river. Once inside, you make your way up a short path to be greeted by a thousand lanterns. It’s another photo opportunity many cannot resist, including my wife, while me and the kids babbled on about how it reminded us of Bella’s favourite film, Spirited Away.

And like No-Face fading away, we too packed ourselves into a bus and headed home. Little did we know that our last day in Kyoto would probably be our best one too. Day 12

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