Cow 1 ~ Ten Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 天神社 
Romanized Reading: Ten Jinja
English Translation: Heaven Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: ?
Cow Count: 2
First Visit: 8-Jan-2019
Location: Nara
Address: 1049 Takabatakecho, Nara, 630-8301
Coordinates: 34.67830,135.83699

I've seen shrines featuring cow statues as signs of good luck before, but this is the first shrine that I encountered where two cows flank the entrance as shrine guardians. And wearing red bibs too! It is located at the top of a small hill, so you have to climb a few steps to get here.

Tanuki 2 ~ Chounai Anzen

 

Japanese Name: 町内安全
Romanized Reading: Chounai Anzen
English Translation: Neighborhood Safety
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Fukuuin
Deity: ?
Tanuki Count: 3
First Visit: 8-Jan-2019
Location: Nara
Address: 1365 Takabatakechō, Nara, 630-8301
Coordinates: 34.67661,135.84660

This is only the second Tanuki shrine that I come across, after Fukujushin in Tokyo. This is a humble side shrine to Fukuuin (不空院 "Negative Sky Temple"), or maybe two, but I'm counting it as one. Anyone, a pair of life-sized stone Tanuki statues flank it, and small porcelain Tanuki stands in the middle.
 

538 ~ Nemu Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 睡神社
Romanized Reading: Nemu Jinja
English Translation: Inari Great Deity
Size: Tiny
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 8-Jan-2019
Location: Nara
Address: Nara Park
Coordinates: 34.68489,135.84080

The first fox shrine that I should find in Nara, the city of deer. And since it's located right in the middle of Nara Kouen (奈良公園 "Nara Public Park"), there's actually quite a lot of deer around that are perfectly tame. Anyway, a pair of life-sized stone foxes watch over this shrine. Which is fenced off, by the way, so that the deer can't get too close. Such as this:

🡻Kyoto - Nara🡹

This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post are in Kyoto, and all shrines after this are in Nara.

537 ~ Inari Ookami

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷大神 
Romanized Reading: Inari Ookami
English Translation: Inari Great Deity
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 5-Jan-2019
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi ~ Inariyama ~ Torii Road ~ Lower Leg Segment
Address: 2-1 Fukakusa Sasayamacho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates: 34.96771,135.77665

The final fox shrine that I should find on my first visit to Kyoto. And we're back on Inariyama again, for one last visit! This time, I'm showing a group of furries around. And since I took a slightly different path this time around, I came across this new shrine.

I only came across a pair of life-sized stone foxes here, but I'm sure if I had spent more time looking, I would have found many more in the vicinity.
 

536 ~ Takaichi Daimyoujin (Wall Shrine)

 

Japanese Name: 高市大明神
Romanized Reading: Takaichi Daimyoujin
English Translation: Tall City Great Radiant Deity
Size: Tiny 
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Jan-2019
Location: Kyoto-Shimogyou
Address: 57-1 Masuyachō, Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, 600-8195
Coordinates: 34.99398,135.76262

The final fox shrine that I should find on today's stray, and it's a slightly unusual one. While most shrines are free standing, this one is a connecting wall between two houses. A pair of tiny porcelain foxes resides within. And although it doesn't have Inari in its name, the Inari emblem on its hangings clearly marks it as an Inari shrine.

 

535 ~ Fukumashi Inari

 

Japanese Name: 福増稲荷
Romanized Reading: Fukumashi Inari
English Translation: Fortune Gain Inari
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Choukoji
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4 (+2 Dogs)
First Visit: 3-Jan-2019
Location: Kyoto-Shimogyou
Address: 〒600-8087 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Hinoshitacho, 31
Coordinates: 34.99855,135.76203

By now, it's already gotten dark. Night falls more quickly here, but I've also found and visited a bunch of other shrines on my way south.

Anyway, this one is a side shrine of Choukoji (長香寺 "Superior Smell Temple"), and it is watched over not only by a pair of life-sized stone foxes as well as a pair of tiny porcelain foxes, but also a pair of life-sized stone dogs on the outer gates. It's rare to see both dogs and foxes at the same shrine, but this is one of them.