Fushimi-Inari Taisha is probably one of the most unusual places of worship in Japan. Over a distance of some 4km, 30 000 torii line the long path winding its way up the side of a hill to the shrine. Inari is the god of rice. This fact explains why - since the 8C - donors have offered these torii marked with their names to the goddess Inari. As rodents are also fond of this grain, it is no surprise to see little stone statues depicting foxes, one of their predators, all the way along this corridor of torii.