Route stop 05
What is Kumataka-sha?
A shrine built out over Shin-ike pond, the Echo Pond, on the climb between Okusha Hohaisho and Yotsutsuji.
Kumataka-sha at a glance
Kumataka-sha · 熊鷹社
| Crowd now | Compared with its usual week, shown once the page loads (Japan time) |
|---|---|
| Walk from the main hall | No published timeBetween Okusha Hohaisho (10–15 min) and Yotsutsuji (30–40 min). |
| Along the path | 850 m from the Romon Gate1.0 km from JR Inari Station |
| Toilets | None mapped within 60 m |
| Vending machines | Yes, about 10 m away |
| Tea houses | Takeya (竹屋) |
Toilets, vending machines and tea houses within 60 m along the paths, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. Something not mapped may still be there.
What you'll find here
The pond is Shin-ike, also called Kodama-ga-ike, the Echo Pond. Its worship place sits on stonework that juts out into the water, with the stone mound of the deity Kumataka Ōkami.
There is a legend for finding someone who has gone missing: clap your hands toward the pond, and the direction the echo comes back from points to where they are.
How crowded does it get?
Our hourly data for this stop is thin, so we don't give busy hours for it. The "Crowd now" line above only says whether it is busier or quieter than its own usual week right now.
For the shrine as a whole: Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.
See today's quiet hoursGo on or turn back?
Mitsutsuji, the next junction, is about 200 m further up the path, and Yotsutsuji about 500 m.
Turning back here, you return down the same path past Okusha Hohaisho to the main hall.
Tea houses nearby
Takeya 竹屋
Hours 8:30–17:00 (Thursday until 16:00)
Faces the pond. Seven tables of four inside, and a bench out front looking over the pond. Tabelog lists it as cash only. Google Maps notes that hours may change on public holidays. Its own website could not be read when we checked.
Hours as listed on Google Maps, checked 7 Oct 2026Tabelog listing (Japanese)
Questions about Kumataka-sha
- What is the legend of the Echo Pond at Kumataka-sha?
- If someone has gone missing, you clap toward the pond; the direction the echo comes back from is said to point to where they are.
- How far is Kumataka-sha from Yotsutsuji?
- About 500 m along the path, uphill.
Sources
- Fushimi Inari Taisha: Kumataka-sha (Japanese)
- Takeya on Google Maps
- Takeya on Tabelog (Japanese)
- OpenStreetMap contributors (paths, toilets, vending machines, tea houses)
Facts are checked against these sources and written in our own words. Not affiliated with the shrine.
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