Fushimi Inari Taisha

You may have seen the photographs of Fushimi Inari, but you won’t be prepared for the scale of this place. A line of more than 5,000 vermillion shrine gateposts snakes around four kilometres of mountainside just south of the city. The shrine is dedicated to the gods of rice, sake and business. As a result, businesses and sake brewers nationwide pay to erect gateposts. If you’re feeling flush, you can too: prices range from ¥200,000 to tens of millions of yen, depending on size and location.