Fushimi Inari Taisha

This guide to Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto starts with the gate right behind you and traces a centuries-old wordplay between the verb to pass through and the shrine's torii gates, which turned into a promise: make a wish, and thank the shrine with a gate of your own. It follows the Edo-period merchants who leaned on that habit hardest, praying to Inari, the god of rice and trade, for good years. Watch for the stone foxes guarding the shrine, each gripping a key in its mouth.