Fushimi Inari Taisha
We woke up in the wee hours of the morning to beat the crowds to Fushimi Inari Taisha, or shrine. When we arrived around 6 AM, there were already dozens of people starting the climb. Fushimi Inari consists of a three-mile path to the top of a mountain. The entire trail is covered in red torii gates, but there are multiple smaller pathways that lead to large shrines or collections of family shrines. Stone foxes (or inari) of all sizes line the trails and are dispersed throughout the shrines. We also came upon the occasional shrine kitty. If three miles of stairs is too much for you, there's a viewing platform about halfway up where you can see Kyoto from above. There are multiple stops on the hike where you can wash your hands and mouth - this is a typical ritual for those entering a shrine.
Kyoto Food Hub and Labo
In order to beat the crowds at Fushimi Inari, we stayed nearby the night before. The JR train from Osaka was only 15 minutes, and we were able to walk to the shrine and our AirBnb from the stop. We arrived around 8 PM to find that we were decidedly not in the city center, and all the shops and restaurants were closed. Google Maps informed us that there was a restaurant about a mile away that MIGHT be open. We headed that way along the canal, which was residential and offered us a glimpse into people's lives in the outskirts of the city. Eventually, we came upon Kyoto Food Hub and Labo. What a good find! An Italian restaurant with superb food and a huge selection of whiskey, Kyoto Food Hub and Labo is exactly what we needed the night before our big climb.