Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites in Kimono

This shrine appears in the 2005 film SAYURI (original title: Memoirs of a Geisha) as the place where the protagonist, Chiyo, experiences a fateful moment. One of the film’s most iconic scenes features a young Chiyo running through rows of red torii gates at the shrine, making a heartfelt wish.The shrine is said to have been founded on the first "Hatsu-uma" day of February in the year Wadō 4 (711 AD), and it is considered the head shrine of all Inari shrines across Japan. Traditionally, it has been revered as the guardian deity of daily life and agriculture. From the medieval period through the early modern era, it also became widely known as a deity of prosperity in business and safety at home.The main shrine building is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Additionally, the “oyama meguri” (pilgrimage around Mount Inari) is a roughly 4-kilometer trail lined with thousands of torii gates along the path, creating a breathtaking and memorable sight.