Start at sunrise. This is nonnegotiable.

It will take you several hours to explore properly. Bring water and wearing your walking shoes.

Sunlight peeks through the forest as the day begins.

An orange cat peers at you beside a reflective lake.

Certainly we are not always aware of how quickly time passes, but the moss-covered statues and sun-colored torii gates with fading Japanese inscriptions lend glimpses into a faraway past.

You will soon walk through over 10,000 brightly colored torii gates built as early as 711, and eventually reach the huge shrine at the very top: Fushimi Inari-taisha.

Especially so early in the morning when it is still quiet, it’s as though you can feel the ‘spirit of the forest’ from a Miyazaki film. The peacefulness is otherworldly.

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for more cats.

There is a slightly hidden view close to the top, too. Walk down from the main shrine, and continue on to the area with more fox statues and smaller torii gates surrounding tombstones. Tucked into this area, you’ll see a clear dirt path leading beyond… follow it, and within two minutes, you’ll find your view.

If you don’t go all the way to the top, you can still enjoy a view. There’s a good one about halfway up at the Yotsutsuji Intersection, where the path splits in three.

Enjoy some ice cream at the end.