620 ~ Ise Toyouke Inari Jinja (Fox Fresco)

 

Japanese Name: 伊勢豊受稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Ise Toyouke Inari Jinja
English Translation: Ise Toyouke Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Minonaka Matsubara Jinja
Deities: Toyouke, Inari
Fox Count: 12
First Visit: 14-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 1 Chome-14-25 Iwabuchi, Ise, Mie 516-0037
Coordinates: 34.487,136.712

A small side shrine of Minonaka Matsubara Jinja (箕曲中松原神社 "Pine Meadow in the Winnowing Bend Shrine"), just across from my favorite station in Ise: Ujiyamada-Eki (宇治山田駅 "Eaves Cure Mountain Field Station"). Seriously, I as only in Ise for three days, and somehow my way should lead me to this station time and time again.

Anyway, this shrine not only features a white fox fresco above its door, but also seven tiny porcelain foxes (along with a Manuki Neko and a Daruma), flanked by two rare life-sized porcelain foxes, beneath each of which sits another small porcelain fox.

It is also dedicated to both Inari and Toyouke, which makes this two of the three great Earthly Deities. If we can get Ookuninushi to join in too, we'll have a full house here!

 

619 SILVER ~ Toyokawa Akane Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 豊川茜稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Toyokawa Akone Inari Jinja
English Translation: Bountiful River Madder Inari Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Very Many
First Visit: 14-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 274 Toyokawacho, Ise, Mie 516-0042
Coordinates: 34.486,136.707

Located just outside of the Geku, atop a little peninsula in Magatama Ike (勾玉池 "Comma-Jewel Lake") this shrine is twinned with Akonesha (茜社 "Madder Shrine"). This is actually rare, because most of the time there's one main shrine with several side shrines. However, these two shrines clearly exist side by side on equal footing, as already becomes apparent at the entrance, where Toyokawa Akone Inari Jinja is written on the stele to the left, and Akonesha on the stele to the right.

Anyway, the reason why I consider this shrine a Silver Fox Shrine are the Very Many tiny porcelain foxes flanking the shrine's entrance, in combination with roughly a dozen life-sized-to-small stone foxes. And there's even more of them inside!
 

 

EXTRA ~ Ise Jingu Geku

Disclaimer: There aren't any foxes here, but I can't possibly write a blog about Shinto Shrines and not include THE most important Shrine in all of Japan. So here you go!

Japanese Name: 伊勢神宮外宮
Romanized Reading: Ise Jingu Geku
English Translation: Ise Shrine Outer Shrine
Size: Complex
Deity: Toyouke
First Visit: 14-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 279 Toyokawacho, Ise, Mie 516-0042
Coordinates: 34.487,136.702

The outer shrine is actually the one that's closer to the heart of the city, and occupies an area of approximately 40 acres on the flank of Takakurayama (高倉山 "Tall Warehouse Mountain"). The deity enshrined here is Toyouke, one of the three great Earthly Deities. Most of the shrine grounds are actually forested, with broad gravel paths leading through it.

In addition to the main shrine (shown at the very top) that is so sacred that you may only take pictures from the outside, there are also a number of smaller side shrines distributed across the grounds.

And here's the Kanguraden (神楽殿 "Divine Music Mansion"), where the sacred Kagura dances are performed.

Finally, here's a map of the whole complex. Note that south is facing up on this map. As a rule, billboard maps in Japan are always oriented in such a way that the direction you're currently facing is up on the map.

618 ~ Tsukiyomi Inari Ookami

 

Japanese Name: 月夜見稲荷大神
Romanized Reading: Tsukiyomi Inari Ookami
English Translation: Moon Night View Inari Great Deity
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Tsukiyomi-no-Miya
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 13-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 1 Chome-3-19 Miyajiri, Ise, Mie 516-0072
Coordinates: 34.4931,136.7058

The final fox shrine that I should find today. As you can see, it's already getting kinda dark. However, the faded color of the Torii is not actually due to the darkness, as can be seen in contrast with the bright red flag. This tiny little shrine is just that old. The two life-sized stone foxes watching over the altar in front of the gnarled old tree are probably the newest additions to this ancient shrine.

And ancient it is, because this a side shrine of  Tsukiyomi-no-Miya (月夜見宮 "Moon Night View Shrine"), which in turn is a satellite shrine of Ise Jingu, which protects a block of green forest in the middle of the city. Of course the deity enshrined here is none other than Tsukiyomi, one of the four great heavenly deities. Nice to know he keeps foxes as company. =^,^=

617 ~ Suhara Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 須原稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Suhara Inari Jinja
English Translation: Necessary Meadow Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Suhara Ooyashiro
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 13-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 1 Chome-3-6 Ichinoki, Ise, Mie 516-0071
Coordinates: 34.49321,136.70466

A side shrine located behind Suhara Ooyashiro (須原大社 "Necessary Meadow Big Shrine"). A road of roughly two dozen red Torii led me there. A pair of life-sized stone foxes watches over this shrine.
 

616 ~ Kiyokawa Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: 清川稲荷大明神
Romanized Reading: Kiyokawa Inari Daimyoujin
English Translation: Pure River Inari Great Radiant Deity
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Ima-no-Yashiro
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 13-Sep-2023  
Location: Ise
Address: 1 Chome-1-8 Miyamachi, Ise, Mie 516-0077
Coordinates: 34.4940,136.6988

A side shrine of Ima-no-Yashiro (今社 "Now Shrine"). Two life-sized stone foxes sit watch in front of it, and another two are sitting at the back of the admittedly somewhat dark interior.