135 ~ Misou Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  見送稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Misou Inari Jinja
English Translation: Off-Seeing Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Sakuragi Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 5
First Visit: 29-Apr-2018
Location: Tokyo-Bunkyo
Address: 4 Chome-3-1 Hongō, Bunkyō-ku, Tōkyō-to 113-0033

One of two fox shrines that I should find on today's little stray through Tokyo's Bunkyou-Ku (文京区 "Culture Capital Ward"). This one is a side shrine of Sakuragi Jinja (桜木神社 "Cherry Tree Shrine"). In fact, there's a big tree growing right in front of this little side shrine, partly obscuring the Torii, but I'm not sure if it's a cherry tree.

Four life-sized stone foxes sit watch over this one, with a fifth little one sitting next to one of the foxes to the right. Unlike the other "vixen and kit" depictions thus far, this one is clearly a separate statue, yet the arrangement is clearly intended to symbolize the same thing, thus bringing the vixen side count to 8:28.