Route stop 03
When is Senbon Torii least crowded?
Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest. Crowds here rise and fall with the main gate. In the evening they ease off sooner: on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, an hour earlier than the shrine as a whole.
Senbon Torii at a glance
Senbon Torii · 千本鳥居
| Crowd now | Compared with its usual week, shown once the page loads (Japan time) |
|---|---|
| Walk from the main hall | About 5 minOwner and Inari Hanei-kai. |
| Along the path | 310 m from the Romon Gate490 m from JR Inari Station |
| Toilets | None mapped within 60 m |
| 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
Two rows of tightly packed vermilion gates just behind the main hall. They lead to Okusha Hohaisho.
The vermilion is the shrine’s own colour, called Inari-nuri, used on the buildings as well as the gates.
Each gate was given by a worshipper as a prayer or as thanks. The custom of offering gates along this path began in the Edo period (1603–1868) and grew into the tunnel you see today.
How crowded does it get?
100 is the busiest hour of the week at Senbon Torii itself. The dark bar is the current hour (Japan time).
Monday
- 00:00: 4 out of 100
- 01:00: 3 out of 100
- 02:00: 3 out of 100
- 03:00: 3 out of 100
- 04:00: 3 out of 100
- 05:00: 4 out of 100
- 06:00: 9 out of 100
- 07:00: 21 out of 100
- 08:00: 45 out of 100
- 09:00: 72 out of 100
- 10:00: 87 out of 100
- 11:00: 86 out of 100
- 12:00: 79 out of 100
- 13:00: 73 out of 100
- 14:00: 70 out of 100
- 15:00: 66 out of 100
- 16:00: 53 out of 100
- 17:00: 40 out of 100
- 18:00: 28 out of 100
- 19:00: 18 out of 100
- 20:00: 11 out of 100
- 21:00: 6 out of 100
- 22:00: 6 out of 100
- 23:00: 5 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 5 out of 100
- 01:00: 4 out of 100
- 02:00: 4 out of 100
- 03:00: 3 out of 100
- 04:00: 3 out of 100
- 05:00: 5 out of 100
- 06:00: 10 out of 100
- 07:00: 23 out of 100
- 08:00: 45 out of 100
- 09:00: 68 out of 100
- 10:00: 81 out of 100
- 11:00: 79 out of 100
- 12:00: 73 out of 100
- 13:00: 68 out of 100
- 14:00: 66 out of 100
- 15:00: 65 out of 100
- 16:00: 55 out of 100
- 17:00: 40 out of 100
- 18:00: 25 out of 100
- 19:00: 15 out of 100
- 20:00: 11 out of 100
- 21:00: 8 out of 100
- 22:00: 6 out of 100
- 23:00: 5 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 4 out of 100
- 01:00: 4 out of 100
- 02:00: 4 out of 100
- 03:00: 3 out of 100
- 04:00: 3 out of 100
- 05:00: 5 out of 100
- 06:00: 10 out of 100
- 07:00: 23 out of 100
- 08:00: 43 out of 100
- 09:00: 65 out of 100
- 10:00: 77 out of 100
- 11:00: 78 out of 100
- 12:00: 73 out of 100
- 13:00: 71 out of 100
- 14:00: 70 out of 100
- 15:00: 65 out of 100
- 16:00: 52 out of 100
- 17:00: 36 out of 100
- 18:00: 23 out of 100
- 19:00: 15 out of 100
- 20:00: 10 out of 100
- 21:00: 8 out of 100
- 22:00: 5 out of 100
- 23:00: 5 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 3 out of 100
- 01:00: 4 out of 100
- 02:00: 4 out of 100
- 03:00: 4 out of 100
- 04:00: 4 out of 100
- 05:00: 5 out of 100
- 06:00: 9 out of 100
- 07:00: 20 out of 100
- 08:00: 40 out of 100
- 09:00: 62 out of 100
- 10:00: 76 out of 100
- 11:00: 74 out of 100
- 12:00: 72 out of 100
- 13:00: 68 out of 100
- 14:00: 66 out of 100
- 15:00: 63 out of 100
- 16:00: 52 out of 100
- 17:00: 36 out of 100
- 18:00: 23 out of 100
- 19:00: 15 out of 100
- 20:00: 11 out of 100
- 21:00: 6 out of 100
- 22:00: 5 out of 100
- 23:00: 4 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 4 out of 100
- 01:00: 3 out of 100
- 02:00: 3 out of 100
- 03:00: 4 out of 100
- 04:00: 4 out of 100
- 05:00: 6 out of 100
- 06:00: 10 out of 100
- 07:00: 21 out of 100
- 08:00: 40 out of 100
- 09:00: 62 out of 100
- 10:00: 74 out of 100
- 11:00: 77 out of 100
- 12:00: 72 out of 100
- 13:00: 69 out of 100
- 14:00: 68 out of 100
- 15:00: 65 out of 100
- 16:00: 55 out of 100
- 17:00: 40 out of 100
- 18:00: 25 out of 100
- 19:00: 15 out of 100
- 20:00: 11 out of 100
- 21:00: 9 out of 100
- 22:00: 8 out of 100
- 23:00: 6 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 4 out of 100
- 01:00: 3 out of 100
- 02:00: 3 out of 100
- 03:00: 3 out of 100
- 04:00: 4 out of 100
- 05:00: 6 out of 100
- 06:00: 13 out of 100
- 07:00: 28 out of 100
- 08:00: 53 out of 100
- 09:00: 83 out of 100
- 10:00: 100 out of 100
- 11:00: 99 out of 100
- 12:00: 90 out of 100
- 13:00: 83 out of 100
- 14:00: 81 out of 100
- 15:00: 76 out of 100
- 16:00: 63 out of 100
- 17:00: 45 out of 100
- 18:00: 28 out of 100
- 19:00: 16 out of 100
- 20:00: 11 out of 100
- 21:00: 8 out of 100
- 22:00: 6 out of 100
- 23:00: 5 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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: 3 out of 100
- 01:00: 3 out of 100
- 02:00: 3 out of 100
- 03:00: 3 out of 100
- 04:00: 3 out of 100
- 05:00: 5 out of 100
- 06:00: 11 out of 100
- 07:00: 28 out of 100
- 08:00: 55 out of 100
- 09:00: 81 out of 100
- 10:00: 94 out of 100
- 11:00: 93 out of 100
- 12:00: 88 out of 100
- 13:00: 84 out of 100
- 14:00: 83 out of 100
- 15:00: 78 out of 100
- 16:00: 65 out of 100
- 17:00: 45 out of 100
- 18:00: 28 out of 100
- 19:00: 16 out of 100
- 20:00: 10 out of 100
- 21:00: 6 out of 100
- 22:00: 5 out of 100
- 23:00: 4 out of 100
Compared with the shrine as a whole
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?
The double row ends at Okusha Hohaisho, about 10–15 minutes from the main hall. The Inari Hanei-kai quick-visit route turns back there and takes about 30 minutes in all.
If you carry on, Yotsutsuji is 30–40 minutes from the main hall and a common place to turn back. Past there, the path is usually much quieter.
When can you get photos with fewer people?
The gates are packed at the same hours as the shrine as a whole. Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.
Questions about Senbon Torii
- How long does it take to walk through Senbon Torii?
- From the main hall, Senbon Torii starts about 5 minutes away, and the double row ends at Okusha Hohaisho, 10–15 minutes from the main hall.
- When is Senbon Torii least crowded?
- Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.
- Why are the gates at Fushimi Inari vermilion?
- Vermilion, called Inari-nuri, is the shrine’s traditional colour for its buildings and gates.
Sources
- Fushimi Inari Taisha: Senbon Torii (Japanese)
- Inari Hanei-kai: quick visit 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: