Fushimi is one of Kyoto's most historically layered and least-hyped districts, sitting in the southern part of the city in Fushimi Ward along the banks of the Uji River and its connecting canals.
It is best known internationally as the location of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the spectacular shrine with thousands of vermilion torii gates climbing the forested mountain behind it, but the district contains far more than a single shrine and rewards visitors who take the time to understand what it actually is.
Fushimi developed as a distinct town during the late sixteenth century when Toyotomi Hideyoshi built his final castle, Fushimi Castle, on the hill above the district.
The town that grew up around the castle was one of the most important political centers in Japan during Hideyoshi's rule and continued to function as a significant commercial town based on its position at the junction of river routes connecting Kyoto to Osaka Bay after the castle's destruction.
The district's most lasting legacy is its sake-brewing industry, which developed during the Edo period, taking advantage of the exceptionally pure spring water that rises throughout the area.
Fushimi is one of the three most famous sake-producing regions in Japan, alongside Nada in Kobe and Saijo in Hiroshima, and the breweries that line the canal district remain active producers of some of Japan's finest sake.
Fushimi Inari Station on the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station is the most direct access for the shrine, a short two-minute train ride putting you steps from the main gate. Fushimi-Momoyama Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line and Momoyamagoryomae Station on the Keihan Main Line serve the sake district and the southern part of Fushimi.