Are you planning to visit Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto with your baby or young kids?
Here are some quick tips!
3 Quick tips:
- T i p 1 : Are you wondering how to keep your kids entertained while at the shrines and temples in Japan? Luckily there are lots of traditional activities! Can you see the photo of us below with the wooden boxes? If you shake these wooden cylinders a little fortune telling stick will come out! Your kids will love the challenge of trying to shake it out:) Once you have your sticks, take them to the counter and pay 200yen and they will give you a tiny paper with your fortune. If it’s not a good one, make sure you tie it up so the wind will blow away any misfortune coming your way!
- T i p 2 : The trick to help young kids enjoy shrine-hopping while in Kyoto? Plan your itinerary in advance with plenty of playgrounds, snack time, and runs in the parks in between! The difficulty though is how to FIND these secret playgrounds and child-friendly cafes and mini parks!?! Make sure you get my Kyoto Guide as it includes all of these locations (including my photos and videos based on my own experience, and believe me it is not easy to find the places without prior planning!) as well as maps and day trip itineraries to ensure you enjoy Kyoto with your children with the least stress and the most fun!
- T i p 3 : I had heard that it can take 2-3 hours to hike the mountain trails where all the red torii gates are behind Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. Luckily we didn’t have to go that far for our photos! The photos below under the torii gates were taken just a few minutes walk up the hill from the main shrine. Perfect if you have a baby or young children that can’t walk too far (or if you’re all dressed up in kimono!). So if you feel deterred by the guidebooks that say it takes hours to walk around here (like I did!), don’t worry! You can still experience the magic of walking through these little red gates at the start of the trails:)
Extra t i p : make sure you consider to plan your trip to Kyoto when the cherry blossoms are blooming. Soooo beautiful! The cherry blossoms generally bloom at the end of March, so if you book your flights for mid- to late-March you will have a very high chance of seeing them in full bloom!
Extra extra t i p : there is no diaper changing facility in Fushimi Inari shrine! The closest is at the station. So make sure you bring a stroller (so you can change diapers in the stroller) or a large mat so you can change diapers outside on the ground in a private area (such as beside the toilets). If you bring a stroller, note that there are many steps up to the shrine and all the way up the hill to the torii gates, so be prepared to either leave your stroller at the entrance somewhere safe or carry it up the stairs with you.
For my full Kyoto guide, including nursing rooms, where to change diapers, where to buy baby food, baby-friendly cafes and restaurants, and playgrounds and parks in Kyoto, make sure you buy my Tokyo guidebook which includes the Kyoto Guide! -> Click here to buy my guidebook
How did I start Tokyo Urban Baby?
The first time I went out in Tokyo with my baby it was a disaster! I didn’t know where all the baby friendly cafes were, or where to change diapers or feed my baby. It was a complete mystery!
That’s when I started my blog Tokyo Urban Baby, as I didn’t want any other mums or dads to struggle the same way as I had. I started blogging about all the new baby-friendly locations that I found while out and about with my baby.
To my excitement, rapidly parents around the world found my blog and sent me messages! I was so happy that I could help parents to enjoy Japan with their baby:)
This lead to Japan TV asking me to be a reporter for NHK World, the Lonely Planet Guide featured Tokyo Urban Baby as the go-to resource for enjoying Japan with a baby, and then in 2015 I launched my Tokyo Guide ebook!
I am very excited that The Tokyo Guide has now grown to include my online Kyoto Guide. If you are visiting Tokyo and Kyoto with your baby, I guarantee my ebook and guides will help you to enjoy these amazing and historical cities with the least stress and the most fun!
Let me know if you have any questions!
x Kate
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What time did you take these photos? The streets look empty!
Actually this was on Saturday at about 3pm! It was in April during the cherry blossom season. It was crowded, but the photographer was great and he took us to places that had less people. This shrine is quite big and there are many shrine buildings, so there are lots of great places to take photos! I recommend visiting. If you really want to avoid the crowds, I recommend going in the early morning:) Best wishes, Kate