Wednesday, July 23, 2025

424 ~ Aokigataki Side Shrine (Aokigataki Cluster Start)

 

Japanese Name: ??大神
Romanized Reading: ? Ookami
English Translation: ? Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Aokigataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9644, 135.7834

The 62nd vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, and the first within the Aogataki (青木ヶ瀧 "Blue Tree Waterfall") cluster. There are probably a lot more fox shrines inside - probably enough to make it a supercluster - but unfortunately, entry to the inner area is prohibited to all but worshipers. You're also not allowed to take pictures, smoke or... pee... inside. Interesting combination.

Anyway, there's still over a dozen fox shrines on the outside that are accessible via the path that we walk. Of those, this is the first one, which features the usual pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb.

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

423 ~ Omoshi Ookami (Kobogataki End)

 

Japanese Name: 重氏大神
Romanized Reading: Omoshi Ookami
English Translation: Heavy Clan Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809


The 61st vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 54th within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the eight in the latter's southern area. This is also finally the last shrine within Kobogataki, which makes this the biggest concentration of fox shrines I've encountered... thus far.

As usual, this one features the a pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb. Also, if you're in the area, there's also another shrine not far to the southwest called Myoubutaki (命婦瀧 "High-Ranking Court Lady Waterfall"), which may or may not be another supercluster. At the very least it also has foxes, although I didn't visit it in person.

Monday, July 21, 2025

422 ~ Takahime Ookami

 

Japanese Name: 鷹姫大神
Romanized Reading: Takahime Ookami
English Translation: Hawk Princess Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809

The 60th vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 53rd within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the seventh in the latter's southern area. As usual, this one features the a pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

421 ~ Goso Ookami, Shiragiku Ookami, Guhou Ookami (Kobogataki Front Entrance)

 

Japanese Names: 御祖大神, 白菊大神, 弘法大神
Romanized Readings: Goso Ookami, Shiragiku Ookami, Guhou Ookami
English Translations: Honorable Ancestor Great Deity, White Chrysanthemum Great Deity, Spreading Buddhist Teachings Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809

The 59th vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 52nd within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the sixth in the latter's southern area. This one again features the usual pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb.

It is also the fox shrine closest to Kobogataki's roadside entrance, which is rather inconspicuous. You can see it in the top left image.
 

Thursday, July 17, 2025

420 ~ Fukue Ookami

 

Japanese Name: 福永大神
Romanized Reading: Fukue Ookami
English Translation: Fortune Eternal Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809

The 58th vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 51st within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the fifth in the latter's southern area. This one has only a single life-sized stone fox to the right. There's a pedestal for a matching fox to the left, but apparently, that one has gone on vacation. Or strike. Who knows?

Anyway, that makes this one of only two shrines in the entire Kobogataki supercluster to only feature a single fox (the other one being 388 ~ Gyokuki Ookami, Kanataka Ookami (and more)).

Also, I can't help but notice how this shrine's name sounds like a sibling to the previous one (Sakae and Fukue), which is located directly to the left. I wonder if that's intentional.

 

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

419 ~ Sakae Ookami

 

Japanese Name: 盛大神
Romanized Reading: Sakae Ookami
English Translation: Prosperous Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809

The 57th vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 50th within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the fourth in the latter's southern area. As usual, this one features a pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb.

This one is one of the rare short-name shrines with only three characters in its name. Four is the norm, with most shrines going by ??神社 or ??大神, followed by five for ??大明神, and then longer names. Three characters are rare, but sometimes happen in the form of ??社, or more rarely ?神社 or - like here - ?大神. Two-character shrine names are even shorter, and take forms like  ?神. And that's the lower limit.

 

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

418 ~ Shiitami Ookami, Suehiro Ookami

 

Japanese Names: 椎太未大神, 末廣大神
Romanized Readings: Shiitami Ookami, Suehiro Ookami
English Translations: Chinquapin Fat Tip Great Deity, Spacious Tip Great Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kobogataki within Fushimi Inari Taisha
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 25-Dec-2018
Location: Kyoto-Fushimi
Address: 27 Fukakusa Sasayamachō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0811
Coordinates
: 34.9654,135.7809

The 57th vulpine side shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the 50th within the Kobogataki supercluster, and the fourth in the latter's southern area. As usual, this one features a pair of life-sized stone foxes, with the left one holding a scroll, and the right one holding an orb. 

This one is located near the very edge of the supercluster, with the bamboo forest plainly in view. Also, in case you're wandering what in he world of Dragon a Chinquapin is: It's an Asian evergreen tree (see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castanopsis). 

424 ~ Aokigataki Side Shrine (Aokigataki Cluster Start)

  Japanese Name : ??大神 Romanized Reading : ? Ookami English Translation : ? Great Deity Size : Tiny side shrine of Aokigataki within Fushimi...