569 ~ Inari Jinja (Mt. Fuji View)

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Fuji
Address: 754 Harada, Fuji, Shizuoka 417-0852
Coordinates: 35.17280,138.70456

I didn't find any fox shrines during the northern half of my ride. The next that I come across is all the way downhill in the city of Fuji (富士 "Wealthy Gentleman"), from where you can still see the eponymous stratovolcano quite clearly. At this point, the peak of the mountain is 20km away, while my closest approach was at 13km, on the saddle between it and the aforementioned Ashitakayama. A pair of life-sized stone foxes watch over this shrine.
 

568 ~ Dousojin & Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Names: 道祖神, 稲荷神社
Romanized Readings: Dousojin, Inari Jinja
English Translations: Road Founder Deity, Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deities: Dousojin, Inari
Fox Count: 2 (+ some shards)
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Susono
Address: Shimowada, Susono, Shizuoka 410-1105
Coordinates: 35.22232,138.88648

A small fox shrine located on a triangle of roads inside a bigger triangle of roads.

Dousojin is a traveller's guardian deity, and thus I'm quite happy to find this shrine. May they watch over me, together with Inari. Also, two tiny porcelain foxes live in here, and there's also some shards that indicate that this place may have once been home to two more.

 

 

567 ~ Unnamed Shrine in Susono

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 1 + 2 half
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Susono
Address: 334-7 Senpuku, Susono, Shizuoka 410-1116
Coordinates: 35.19283,138.90739

A tiny, nameless fox shrine next to a really small block of flats that I came across on the next town down the line. I am cycling around Ashitakayama (愛鷹山 "Love Hawk Mountain") in a counter-clockwise fashion, which at its northernmost point will bring me up the flank of Mt. Fuji, which will still take me up a whopping 900m from sea level.

But that's just for context. We're here for foxes, and this tiny shrine features one tiny clay or porcelain fox that is still whole, and two more that have lost their heads. They are noticeably not of the usual, mass-produced design, but seem to be of a more unique make.

566 ~ Unnamed Shrine in Nagaizumi

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Nagaizumi
Address: 562-6 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi, Sunto District, Shizuoka 411-0934
Coordinates: 35.14296,138.89208

The last fox shrine that I should find while cycling through Nagaizumi. This one is tiny, located directly next to a road, and houses a pair of tiny porcelain foxes.
 

565 ~ Ikeda Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 池田稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Ikeda Inari Jinja
English Translation: Pond Field Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 14
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Nagaizumi
Address: 576 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi, Sunto District, Shizuoka 411-0934
Coordinates: 35.14193,138.89075

Not far from the previous shrine, there's this tiny shrine by the roadside, standing in a little patch of green. A pair of life sized stone foxes stands watch over it, and a dozen tiny porcelain foxes sit on its porch.
 

564 ~ Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 29-Jan-2019
Location: Nagaizumi
Address: 482 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi, Sunto District, Shizuoka 411-0934
Coordinates: 35.14157,138.89061

The first fox shrine that I should find on my epic cycling tour to the foot of Mt. Fuji on a single-gear bike. This one is located in the first town over and consists only of a single small room with a pair of porcelain foxes hidden inside.

Recent satellite image data shows that there now is a parking lot where this shrine used to be, so maybe it got demolished or moved. But I'll always have my memories and photos of this place.
 

563 BRONZE ~ Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷大明神
Romanized Reading: Inari Daimyoujin
English Translation: Inari Great Radiant Deity
Size: Small Side Shrine of Kongouji
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 19-Jan-2019
Location: Numazu
Address: 518 Nishimakado, Numazu, Shizuoka 410-0871
Coordinates: 35.10077,138.84282

The last fox shrine that I should find on my first exploratory stray through Numazu. This one is located near the shore of Suruga Wan (駿河湾 "Good Horse River Bay"), and is a side shrine of Kongouji (金剛寺 "Vajra Temple"). Within the small shrine building, there are several dozen tiny porcelain foxes, a few of which are gilded.