Fushimi Inari-taisha

Thousands of vermilion torii gates climb the mountain behind this shrine, and it is the one essential worth setting an alarm for. The grounds never close, so you can walk the tunnels at first light before the tour groups arrive and the lower gates turn into a slow-moving line. The full loop to the summit and back takes about two to three hours. Most visitors turn around well before the top, so the farther you climb, the quieter the gates, the small sub-shrines and the fox statues become.