59 ~ Fukutoku Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  福徳神社
Romanized Reading: Fukutoku Jinja
English Translation: Happiness and Prosperity Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chuo
Address: 2 Chome-4-14 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chūō-ku, Tōkyō-to 103-0022

A locally famous shrine in central Tokyo that is said to bring good fortune. Traditionally, people come here to pray for winning in the lottery. As such, it does not come as a surprise that two foxes would be watching over it, with them being associated with Inari, goddess of prosperity. I guess that means that foxes are also thought of as bringers of good fortune in Japan, which I guess explains their popularity. This is notably one of the rare fox shrines that does not have Inari in its name, though I assume it is still a shrine dedicated to Inari, once because of the foxes, twice because of the association with fortune and prosperity, and thrice because the left of the two emblems on the cloths hanging behind the Shimenawa is one of the typical Inari emblems, depicting two bundles of rice ears bent in a circle.