81 ~ Konoha Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  此葉稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Konoha Inari Jinja
English Translation: This Leaf Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Ichougaoka Hachiman Jinja)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 8
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Taito
Address: 1 Chome-29-11 Asakusabashi, Taitō-ku, Tōkyō-to 111-0053

The final fox shrine I should find on my stray from Koto to Taito, and a side shrine of Ichougaoka Hachiman Jinja (銀杏岡八幡神社 "Ginko Hill Hachiman Shrine"). After Inari, Hachiman is the deity of which I encountered the second-most Shrines in all of Japan, and whereas there are many small and tiny Inari Shrines, Hachiman Shrines are mostly sized medium or bigger. Hachiman is the god of warriors and archery, by the way, and was very popular among the Samurai caste, thus explaining why there's so many shrines dedicated to these two deities around: Inari for the farmers and Hachiman for the samurai. Anyway, this side shrine features a total of eight little foxes, and one unpaired old fox to the right with a broken-off tail features a kit, thus bringing the vixen side count to 4:17.

Snake 1 ~ Iwaya

 

Japanese Name:  岩屋
Romanized Reading: Iwaya
English Translation: Cavern
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Ejima Sugiyama Jinja)
Deity: Inari
Snake Count: Many
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Sumida
Address: 1 Chome-8-2 Chitose, Sumida-ku, Tōkyō-to 130-0025

Just next to the previous fox shrine, there's a path leading to a little grotto. Inari's emblem decorates the curtains of the little shrine inside, but instead of foxes, there are a whole bunch of little snake statues around. That is because, like foxes, snakes also eat rodents and thus keep the rice fields free of vermin. As a consequence, the snakes are also holy animals of the rice deity Inari, though you don't see them nearly as often at those shrines as foxes.
 

80 ~ Sugita Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  杉多稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Sugita Inari Jinja
English Translation: Many Cedars Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny Side Shrine (of Ejima Sugiyama Jinja)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Sumida
Address: 1 Chome-8-2 Chitose, Sumida-ku, Tōkyō-to 130-0025

A tiny foxy side shrine of Ejima Sugiyama Jinja (江島杉山神社  "Bay Island Cedar Mountain Shrine"). Located to the right and behind the main shrine, there's another interesting thing here that I'll cover in the next post. For now, the presence of two fox guardians here is enough for me. Also take note of the offerings of sake and snack bars.

79 ~ Yanagawa Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  八名川稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Yanagawa Inari Jinja
English Translation: Eight Names River Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Koto
Address: 3 Chome-1-4 Shinōhashi, Kōtō-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0007

A shrine that is almost, but not quite small, located at the side, but facing away from Yanagawa Park. Clamped between two buildings, a pair of foxes in mesh cages watches over this one.The right one features a kit, thus bringing the vixen side count to 4:16.

78 ~ Wagou Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  和合稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Wagou Inari Jinja
English Translation: Harmony Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Fukagawa Shinmeigu)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 8
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Koto
Address: 1 Chome-3-17 Morishita, Kōtō-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0004

A small foxy Side Shrine of Fukagawa Shinmeigu (深川神明宮 "Deep River Amaterasu Hall"), which incidentally is still not located in the eponymous Fukuagawa neighborhood, but rather in Morishita (森下 "Below the Forest"). This side shrine consists of a little cabin built around a Tiny shrine, which fits my definition of "I could take shelter inside during the rain", thus making it a Small shrine in my book. A total of 8 tiny foxes flank the inner tiny shrine, with 4 to each side.

77 ~ Fukagawa Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  深川稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Fukagawa Inari Jinja
English Translation: Deep River Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Koto
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kiyosumi, Kōtō-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0024

A foxy shrine not far not only one but two rivers, none of which is named Fukagawa though. Rather, Fukagawa is the name of a neighborhood, but interestingly not the one that this shrine is located in. That one would be Kiyosumi (清澄 "Clear"), while Fukagawa is the next neighborhood to the south. This is probably the result of some administrative reorganization, because several other places in Kiyosumi still bear the Fukagawa name. Anyway two stone foxes of unusual design stand watch here, with the right one featuring a kit, thus bringing the vixen side count to 4:16.

76 ~ Wagou Inari

 

Japanese Name:  和合稲荷
Romanized Reading: Wagou Inari
English Translation: Harmony Inari
Size: Tiny Side Shrine (of Joushinji)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 12-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Koto
Address: 2 Chome-4-25 Hirano, Kōtō-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0023

The first fox shrine I should find on my stray from Koto through Sumida to Taito on 12-Apr-2018. This one is a side shrine of Joushinji (浄心寺 "Clean Heart Temple"). A Pair of life-sized fox statues watch over this one. Interestingly, the shrine itself is made of stone as well, instead of wood which is the more common material for shrines. Still, especially for tiny shrines such as this one, stone is occasionally used.

75 ~ Shinjouin Side Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny Side Shrine (of Shinjouin)
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 10-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Bunkyo
Address: 3 Chome-32-4 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku, Tōkyō-to 113-0034

A tiny, nameless side shrine of Shinjouin (心城院 "Heart Castle Temple"), which is a Buddhist temple that is also known as Yushima Shouden (湯島聖天 "Hot Spring Island Nandikesvara"), located right next to Yushima Tenmangu. Two little foxes watch over this shrine, which is why I assume it is probably an Inari Shrine. If so, then maybe Shinjou Inarisha (心城稲荷社 "Heart Castle Inari Shrine") would be a good name for it. But that's only my personal suggestion. This is also already the last fox shrine on today's short stray.

74 ~ Sasazuka Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  笹塚稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Sasazuka Inari Jinja
English Translation: Bamboo Gras Mound Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Yushima Tenmangu)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 1 (Fresco)
First Visit: 10-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Bunkyo
Address: 3 Chome-30-1 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku, Tōkyō-to 113-0034

The first fox shrine that I should find on my short stray today, and a side shrine of the big Yushima Tenmangu (湯島天満宮 "Hot Spring Island Heavenly Full Hall"). Instead of a statue, this one features a fresco of a white fox in the clouds below an Inari-emblem and with a Hoshi-no-Tama on its tail.

73 ~ Shichifuku Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  七福稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Shichifuku Inari Jinja
English Translation: Seven Fortunes Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Dairokuten Sasakaki Jinja)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 7-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Taito
Address: 1 Chome-4-3 Kuramae, Taitō-ku, Tōkyō-to 111-0051

The second foxy side shrine of Dairokuten Sasakaki Jinja, and the last fox shrine that I should encounter today. Here, the right fox features a kit, thus bringing the vixen side count to 4:15.

72 ~ Hanjou Inarisha

 

Japanese Name:  綮昌稲荷社
Romanized Reading: Hanjou Inarisha
English Translation: Prosperity Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Dairokuten Sasakaki Jinja)
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 7-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Taito
Address: 1 Chome-4-3 Kuramae, Taitō-ku, Tōkyō-to 111-0051

A small side shrine of Dairokuten Sakaki Jinja (第六天榊神社 "Sixth Heaven Sakaki Tree Shrine"), which is a bit unusual since it features a pair of foxes inside, both of which have a kit by their side, so I am a bit unsure about how to interpret that. Are they both supposed to be vixens? Or is one male after all? It's hard to say, but for the purposes of the vixen side count I am going to count them both as vixen, thus bringing the count to 4:14. After all, I also found some shrines with two explicitly male Komainu guardians, so why shouldn't there be a shrine with two vixens in turn?

71 ~ Fukuju Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  福寿神社
Romanized Reading: Fukuju Jinja
English Translation: Long Life and Happiness Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine (of Torikoe Jinja)
Deity: Luck
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 7-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Taito
Address: 2 Chome-4-1 Torigoe, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0054

The first foxy shrine that I should find on my short stray today. This one is a side shrine of Torikoe Jinja (鳥越神社 "Bird Moving Shrine"), and is notably not an Inari Shrine. Even so, many tiny foxes make their home in show case here. There also are a few bigger foxes outside, but they are in considerably worse shape, lacking, ears, muzzles, or even the entire head.

70 ~ Hanabusa Inari Jinja (Akihabara Backyard Shrine)

 

Japanese Name:  花房稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Hanabusa Inari Jinja
English Translation: Calyx Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 5-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Address: 4 Chome-4-5 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan

And here I thought the shrines that are surrounded by tall buildings on four sides were the pinnacle of urbanism. Well, clearly I was wrong, because this little shrine is surrounded by tall buildings on all four sides, and is accessible only through a really narrow alley between two buildings that is actually more like a tunnel for the emergency stairs overhead. It looks exactly like a place that's a bad idea to enter, and yet at the end of it, in the middle of a tiny courtyard with a distant square of sky roughly 30m overhead, there's this little shrine with a pair of foxes watching over it.

Yet more interestingly, this one is located directly next to the main road of Akihabara, in a block directly adjunct to the main street. Millions of people pass by within 30m of this shrine every day, yet hardly one of them ever notices it, that's how concealed it is. Incidentally, this is also the final shrine that I should find on my stray today.

69 ~ Kotoku Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  幸徳稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Kotoku Inari Jinja
English Translation: Happy Virtue Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 5-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Address: 2-chōme-14-14 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0052 幸徳 稲荷神社

An interesting shrine located on the balcony of a house, reachable over the stairs. At first I am a bit hesitant to approach, but since the flags are pretty much an invitation, I eventually walk up and have a look. Two tiny foxes stand watch in front of the shrine, and of course I leave a little bit in the donation box, as I always do at these shrines.

68 ~ Kintsuna Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  金綱稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Kintsuna Inari Jinja
English Translation: Gold Rope Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 5-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Coordinates: 35.6988733,139.7796034

Back in Chiyoda again, this small shrine is located between a big building and a medium-sized park. And while many Inari shrines boast the color red as their lucky trademark, this one truly revels in it. Two pairs of foxes watch over it, one pair outside the inner bars, and the other pair inside, flanking the main shrine.

By the way, it's often not easy for me to decide on whether to categorize a shrine as "Tiny" or "Small". My general rule of thumb is that if a shrine is big enough to shelter a person, it is small. Here, the actual shrine is clearly tiny, but it has enough construction around it as well as a roof, so I figure that's enough to qualify it as "Small".

67 ~ Chiyoda Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  千代田稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Chiyoda Inari Jinja
English Translation: Thousand Age Field Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 5-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Taitou
Coordinates: 35.7010015,139.7778801

A tiny foxy shrine, which ironically is not located within the borders of Chiyoda, but rather within Taitou, if only by 65m or so. I suppose the district boundaries changed at some point in time, leaving this shrine stranded in the next district over. Oh well. At any rate, a pair of foxes faithfully watches over this one.

66 ~ Inari Hokora

 

Japanese Name:  稲荷祠
Romanized Reading: Inari Hokora
English Translation: Inari Small-Wayside-Shrine
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Kanda Myoujin
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 15
First Visit: 3-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Coordinates: 35.7021191,139.7682264

The third and final foxy side shrine of Kanda Myoujin, located at the back of the main building. It is the smallest of the three by a good margin, and yet it features more than thrice as many foxes as the other two combined. Also, one of the foxes on the right has a kit, bringing the vixen side count to 3:13.

65 ~ Suehiro Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  末広稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Suehiro Inari Jinja
English Translation: Becoming Prosperous Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Kanda Myoujin
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Address: 〒101-0021 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda, 2 Chome−16, 末広稲荷神社

Another foxy side shrine of Kanda Myoujin. This one features a pair of custom-made black foxes sitting watch to either side.

64 ~ Urayasu Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  浦安稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Urayasu Inari Jinja
English Translation: Quiet Bay Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Kanda Myoujin
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Address: 〒101-0021 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda, 2 Chome−16, 浦安稲荷神社

A foxy side shrine of Kanda Myoujin (神田明神 "God Field Great Diety"), which at the time of my visiting also featured a drawing of a dragon, as well as a white rat inside. Especially the latter is very atypical for Inari shrines, so I wonder what's up with that. Did the two foxes outside not do their jobs or what?

Incidentally, Kanda Myoujin is that notable shrine next to Akihabara where people go to get blessings for their electrical appliances. Got an expensive new smartphone? Better get it blessed at Kanda Myoujin so it doesn't break. Laptop acting up randomly? Maybe the priests or shrine maidens at Kanda Myoujin can exorcise the evil spirits. Talk about a modern religion!

63 ~ Koubu Inari Jinja

Japanese Name:  講武稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Koubu Inari Jinja
English Translation: Military Training Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 7
First Visit: 3-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Chiyoda
Address: 1 Chome-9-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to 101-0021

A small fox shrine where a skulk of foxes lodge not only within the shrine, but also on a (probably artificial) rocky outcrop to the side. From here it's not far to Akihabara, so if you're around there, you might as well come here and have a look (and then follow the trail across the river to the previously mentioned shrines while you're at it).