Route stop 04
What is at Okusha Hohaisho?
The inner shrine at the end of the double row of Senbon Torii, 10–15 minutes from the main hall. Behind it are the Omokaru stones, and it is the turning point of the short visit.
Okusha Hohaisho at a glance
Okusha Hohaisho · 奥社奉拝所 · Turn-back point
| Crowd now | Compared with its usual week, shown once the page loads (Japan time) |
|---|---|
| Walk from the main hall | About 10–15 minOwner; the Inari Hanei-kai gives 15 minutes. |
| Along the path | 400 m from the Romon Gate570 m from JR Inari Station |
| Toilets | Yes, about 30 m away |
| Vending machines | None mapped within 60 m |
| Tea houses | None mapped within 60 m |
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
Okusha Hohaisho stands east of the main hall, in a hollow known as Myōbu-dani, and is often called the Okunoin, the inner shrine. It is a place to pray to the mountain from below: the three peaks of Mt Inari rise directly behind it.
A shrine record from 1499 already mentions it. The present building dates from a rebuilding after a fire in 1794, and in 1975 it was moved back and a worship hall was added in front.
The Omokaru stones
Behind the shrine on the right is a pair of stone lanterns. Make a wish, then lift the round stone on top of one. If it feels lighter than you expected, the wish is said to come true; if heavier, it will be hard to achieve.
How crowded does it get?
100 is the busiest hour of the week at Okusha Hohaisho itself. The dark bar is the current hour (Japan time). In our data, its busiest hour falls between 11:00 and 22:00 on every day of the week.
Unlike the shrine as a whole, this spot's line stays well above zero at night. Treat the night hours with caution and use the chart to see when it peaks during the day.
Monday
- 00:00: 75 out of 100
- 01:00: 79 out of 100
- 02:00: 64 out of 100
- 03:00: 48 out of 100
- 04:00: 50 out of 100
- 05:00: 52 out of 100
- 06:00: 58 out of 100
- 07:00: 40 out of 100
- 08:00: 40 out of 100
- 09:00: 50 out of 100
- 10:00: 69 out of 100
- 11:00: 81 out of 100
- 12:00: 81 out of 100
- 13:00: 64 out of 100
- 14:00: 50 out of 100
- 15:00: 51 out of 100
- 16:00: 46 out of 100
- 17:00: 55 out of 100
- 18:00: 48 out of 100
- 19:00: 43 out of 100
- 20:00: 38 out of 100
- 21:00: 33 out of 100
- 22:00: 46 out of 100
- 23:00: 61 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Tuesday
- 00:00: 71 out of 100
- 01:00: 66 out of 100
- 02:00: 65 out of 100
- 03:00: 61 out of 100
- 04:00: 46 out of 100
- 05:00: 43 out of 100
- 06:00: 41 out of 100
- 07:00: 53 out of 100
- 08:00: 61 out of 100
- 09:00: 61 out of 100
- 10:00: 53 out of 100
- 11:00: 51 out of 100
- 12:00: 51 out of 100
- 13:00: 58 out of 100
- 14:00: 51 out of 100
- 15:00: 46 out of 100
- 16:00: 43 out of 100
- 17:00: 51 out of 100
- 18:00: 58 out of 100
- 19:00: 61 out of 100
- 20:00: 74 out of 100
- 21:00: 66 out of 100
- 22:00: 71 out of 100
- 23:00: 65 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Wednesday
- 00:00: 61 out of 100
- 01:00: 65 out of 100
- 02:00: 76 out of 100
- 03:00: 74 out of 100
- 04:00: 79 out of 100
- 05:00: 61 out of 100
- 06:00: 65 out of 100
- 07:00: 51 out of 100
- 08:00: 58 out of 100
- 09:00: 48 out of 100
- 10:00: 56 out of 100
- 11:00: 48 out of 100
- 12:00: 71 out of 100
- 13:00: 76 out of 100
- 14:00: 100 out of 100
- 15:00: 74 out of 100
- 16:00: 61 out of 100
- 17:00: 53 out of 100
- 18:00: 61 out of 100
- 19:00: 51 out of 100
- 20:00: 53 out of 100
- 21:00: 46 out of 100
- 22:00: 56 out of 100
- 23:00: 51 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Thursday
- 00:00: 46 out of 100
- 01:00: 66 out of 100
- 02:00: 66 out of 100
- 03:00: 58 out of 100
- 04:00: 51 out of 100
- 05:00: 41 out of 100
- 06:00: 46 out of 100
- 07:00: 43 out of 100
- 08:00: 48 out of 100
- 09:00: 65 out of 100
- 10:00: 61 out of 100
- 11:00: 71 out of 100
- 12:00: 61 out of 100
- 13:00: 66 out of 100
- 14:00: 66 out of 100
- 15:00: 69 out of 100
- 16:00: 65 out of 100
- 17:00: 46 out of 100
- 18:00: 46 out of 100
- 19:00: 46 out of 100
- 20:00: 58 out of 100
- 21:00: 46 out of 100
- 22:00: 43 out of 100
- 23:00: 38 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Friday
- 00:00: 48 out of 100
- 01:00: 43 out of 100
- 02:00: 46 out of 100
- 03:00: 35 out of 100
- 04:00: 41 out of 100
- 05:00: 53 out of 100
- 06:00: 71 out of 100
- 07:00: 66 out of 100
- 08:00: 58 out of 100
- 09:00: 48 out of 100
- 10:00: 51 out of 100
- 11:00: 66 out of 100
- 12:00: 65 out of 100
- 13:00: 58 out of 100
- 14:00: 48 out of 100
- 15:00: 48 out of 100
- 16:00: 46 out of 100
- 17:00: 51 out of 100
- 18:00: 51 out of 100
- 19:00: 48 out of 100
- 20:00: 61 out of 100
- 21:00: 56 out of 100
- 22:00: 76 out of 100
- 23:00: 51 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Saturday
- 00:00: 38 out of 100
- 01:00: 48 out of 100
- 02:00: 43 out of 100
- 03:00: 43 out of 100
- 04:00: 35 out of 100
- 05:00: 35 out of 100
- 06:00: 41 out of 100
- 07:00: 35 out of 100
- 08:00: 46 out of 100
- 09:00: 35 out of 100
- 10:00: 33 out of 100
- 11:00: 41 out of 100
- 12:00: 58 out of 100
- 13:00: 58 out of 100
- 14:00: 48 out of 100
- 15:00: 58 out of 100
- 16:00: 65 out of 100
- 17:00: 65 out of 100
- 18:00: 71 out of 100
- 19:00: 53 out of 100
- 20:00: 46 out of 100
- 21:00: 31 out of 100
- 22:00: 33 out of 100
- 23:00: 28 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Sunday
- 00:00: 21 out of 100
- 01:00: 33 out of 100
- 02:00: 43 out of 100
- 03:00: 51 out of 100
- 04:00: 53 out of 100
- 05:00: 58 out of 100
- 06:00: 51 out of 100
- 07:00: 51 out of 100
- 08:00: 38 out of 100
- 09:00: 48 out of 100
- 10:00: 56 out of 100
- 11:00: 66 out of 100
- 12:00: 71 out of 100
- 13:00: 71 out of 100
- 14:00: 66 out of 100
- 15:00: 53 out of 100
- 16:00: 51 out of 100
- 17:00: 48 out of 100
- 18:00: 48 out of 100
- 19:00: 43 out of 100
- 20:00: 56 out of 100
- 21:00: 35 out of 100
- 22:00: 33 out of 100
- 23:00: 21 out of 100
Compared with Senbon Torii
Each line is scaled to its own busiest hour that day. It shows when each one fills up and empties, not how many people are there.
Go on or turn back?
Turning back here makes the Inari Hanei-kai quick-visit route, about 30 minutes in all from the main hall.
To go on, the path climbs to Yotsutsuji, about 20 minutes beyond the Omokaru stones on the Hanei-kai route. On the way it passes Kumataka-sha and Mitsutsuji.
When can you get photos with fewer people?
This is where the Senbon Torii crowd arrives, so it fills at the same hours. For the shrine as a whole: Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00.
Questions about Okusha Hohaisho
- What are the Omokaru stones at Fushimi Inari?
- A pair of stone lanterns behind Okusha Hohaisho. You make a wish and lift the stone on top: if it feels lighter than you expected, the wish is said to come true.
- How long does it take to reach Okusha Hohaisho?
- About 10–15 minutes on foot from the main hall, through Senbon Torii.
- Should I turn back at Okusha Hohaisho?
- It is the turning point of the short visit, about 30 minutes in all. Yotsutsuji, with its view, is about 20 more minutes uphill.
Sources
- Fushimi Inari Taisha: Okusha Hohaisho (Japanese)
- Inari Hanei-kai: quick visit route (Japanese)
- Inari Hanei-kai: Mt Inari walking route (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.
Last updated: