Horse 1 ~ Gojinmeten

 

Japanese Name:  御神馬殿
Romanized Reading: Gojinmeten
English Translation: Honorable Divine Horse Hall
Size: Small Side Shrine of Oomiya Jinja
Deity: ?
Horse Count: 6+
First Visit: 25-Jul-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: Omiya-51 Motomiya, Morioka, Iwate 020-0866

Another side shrine of Oomiya Jinja, yet this one is again a novelty in my journey around Japan, in that it is clearly dedicated to horses. Not only is there a life-sized horse statue within, but there's also pictures of horses all around the walls, as well as wooden horse plaque.
 

177 ~ Nameless Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Small Side Shrine of Oomiya Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 24+
First Visit: 25-Jul-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: Omiya-51 Motomiya, Morioka, Iwate 020-0866

The other foxy side shrine of Omiya Jinja. This one doesn't have a name as far as I can tell, but it makes for it with its impressive number of foxes. In total, at least 24 tiny porcelain foxes reside in this shrine, though it is also possible that a number of foxes that belong to the previous shrine presently under renovation have temporarily sought refuge in here.

176 ~ Oomiya Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  大宮稲荷神社 
Romanized Reading: Oomiya Inari Jinja
English Translation: Great Shrine Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Oomiya Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 25-Jul-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: Omiya-51 Motomiya, Morioka, Iwate 020-0866

A fox shrine that I should find while on a shopping trip to Morioka with my host, during the weeks I spent helping out in a pension in the mountains of Touhoku. This one is a side shrine of the eponymous and tautological Oomiya Jinja (大宮神社 "Great Shrine Shrine") and features at least four life-sized stone foxes. At least because the shrine itself is currently undergoing renovations, so there might be more foxes inside. Also I wonder what it actually looks like, now that it's finished.
 

175 ~ Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  稲荷神社 
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 10
First Visit: 18-Jul-2018
Location: Takahata
Coordinates: 40.0837194,141.0490776

A small fox shrine located in the rural area of Takahata (高畑 "High Field") in a valley in the mountains of Touhoku (東北 "Northeast"), which as the name suggests is the northeastern-most region of Japan's main island of Honshu (which means that for a long time it was the northeastern-most area of all of Japan, since Hokkaido was only annexed relatively late in Japan's history).

There aren't many fox shrines in this area still. In fact, this is the northernmost fox shrine that I should find on Honshu, despite having looked in the towns of Hachinohe (八戸 "Eight Door") and Aomori (青森 "Blue Forest") as well. Eight tiny white porcelain foxes can be seen of you spy deep into the heart of this little shrine, along with two equally tiny black ones of unknown composition.

🡻Hokkaido - Morioka🡹

This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post were on Hokkaido, and all Shrines until the next marker are in Morioka (again), plus the first shrine is a little bit outside, but still in the greater Morioka area.

174 ~ Chitose Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  千歳神社
Romanized Reading: Chitose Jinja
English Translation: Thousand Years Shrine
Size: Big
Deity: Toyouke Hime-no-Kami
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 4-Jul-2018
Location: Chitose
Address: 1 Shinchō, Chitose-shi, Hokkaidō 066-0046

The final fox Shrine I should find in Hokkaido, in the city of Chitose, which is probably best known for being where the airport of Sapporo is located. This one is notably not an Inari shrine, though Toyouke Hime-no-Kami (豊宇気比売神 "Bountiful Heavenly Spirit Goddess") is still related to agriculture, thus it makes sense that foxes - the traditional guardians of crops in Japan - would watch over this shrine. A pair of life-sized black stone foxes watches over the entrance of this shrine, with the left one featuring one kit, and what might be a second one on her back, thus bringing the vixen side count to 9:32.

173 ~ Utabetsu Inari Junja

Japanese Name:  歌別稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Utabetsu Inari Jinja
English Translation: Diverging Song Inari Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Jul-2018
Location: Utabetsu
Address: 250 番地 Utabetsu, Erimo, Horoizumi District, Hokkaido 058-0202
Coordinates: 41.9933548,143.1635821

A fox shrine located some distance north of Hokkaido's Erimo Misaki (襟裳岬 "Collar Skirt Cape"). A pair of life-sized stone foxes watches over this shrine, and there's also actual live foxes around in this area. In fact, road signs specifically tell drivers to watch out for foxes, and in fact a fox crossed the road right ahead of me while I was driving here, making this my one confirmed life fox sighting in Japan.
 

172 ~ Fushimi Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  伏見稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Fushimi Inari Jinja
English Translation: Prostrated Hopes Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Urahoro Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 8
First Visit: 3-Jul-2018
Location: Urahoro
Address: 18-1 Higashiyamachō, Urahoro-chō, Tokachi-gun, Hokkaidō 089-5612

A fox shrine that I came across during my improvised road trip around Hokkaido, during a lunch break at Urahoro (浦幌 "Bay Canopy"), in the southeast of Hokkaido. It is a side shrine of the eponymous town shrine and features four dozen tiny porcelain foxes inside. It is also a branch shrine of the great Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, that I should yet visit... in due time.

171 ~ Nameless Shrine (Kitakitsune Bokujou ~ Live 🦊)

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Many (live)
First Visit: 30-Jun-2018
Location: Rubeshibe
Address: 52-1 Rubeshibechō Hanaoka, Kitami, Hokkaido 091-0157

After not finding any fox-shrines for a whole month while helping out on a strawberry farm at the outskirts of Sapporo, I'm finally on the move again and finding new fox shrines. This one is the only fox shrine that I should find in the vicinity of Kitami (北見 "North View") in northeastern Hokkaido, and the second and final fox shrine where I would encounter live foxes. This one is located near a town with the unnecessarily complicated name of Rubeshibecho Onneyu Onsen (留辺蘂町温根湯温泉 "Detained Border Pistil Town Warm Root Bath Hot Springs").

This one is located in the Kitakitsune Bokujou (北きつね牧場 "North Fox Farm"), and the inner shrine is out of bounds and not accessible from inside he enclosure, where I can once again walk around live foxes, and also Tanuki. The foxes here are a lot more relaxed than in the Zao Kitsune Mura, which probably is because they don't need to compete for food here: fox chow is readily available at various feeding stations throughout the enclosure.

Here's a video of that place (although that video doesn't include the shrine).

(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)

170 ~ Nameless Shrine (Northernmost)

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Shingonji
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 8
First Visit: 28-May-2018
Location: Wakkanai
Address: 5 Chome-11-21 Central, Wakkanai, Hokkaido 097-0022

The northernmost fox shrine that I should visit on my journey, and one of the northernmost in all of Japan. This one is a side shrine of Shingonji (真言寺 "True Say Temple"). A pair of lithe, life-sized black metal foxes sits watch outside, and another four of the standard tiny porcelain foxes reside within, along with another pair of different make.

169 ~ Fushimi Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  伏見稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Fushimi Inari Jinja
English Translation: Prostrated Hopes Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 26-May-2018
Location: Asahikawa
Coordinates: 43.794345,142.394691

A tiny branch shrine of the Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha - one of the northernmost of its kind - featuring a trio of tiny porcelain foxes inside. Recent imagery data shows that this shrine was apparently razed to make room for a parking lot, so maybe this shrine only exists in my memories and photos now. However, it is also possible that the shrine was merely moved, which is also a thing that sometimes happens during construction projects.

168 ~ Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation:Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 24-May-2018
Location: Asahikawa
Address: 7-chōme-6 8 Jōdōri, Asahikawa, Hokkaido 070-0038

The first of only two fox shrines that I should find in Asahikawa (旭川 "Rising Sun River"), a town in the heart of Hokkaido. A pair of tiny porcelain foxes watch over this tiny shrine, located right next to a parking lot.
 

167 ~ Private Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 23-May-2018
Location: Sapporo
Address: 14 Chome-1-7 Minami 10 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 064-0810

A tiny stone fox shrine located in the front garden of a house. You can see it from the road, but you can't get there without trespassing. A quartet of tiny porcelain foxes reside within. This is also already the final fox shrine that I should find in Sapporo. Really not many around of them in these parts.
 

166 ~ Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name:  稲荷大明神
Romanized Reading: Inari Daimyoujin
English Translation: Inari Great Radiant Deity
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Toyokawa Inari Sapporo Betsuin
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 21-May-2018
Location: Sapporo
Address: 4 Chome-1-1 Minami 7 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0807
Coordinates: 43.0522254,141.3537571

A foxy side shrine of aforementioned Toyokawa Inari Sapporo Betsuin. A pair of slightly smaller-than-life stone foxes watches over this one. Incidentally, I have noticed that Google Maps sometimes messes up with addresses in Hokkaido, so I am also including the coordinates for shrines where I notice that.

165 ~ Toyokawa Inari Sapporo Betsuin

 

Japanese Name:  豊川稲荷札幌別院
Romanized Reading: Toyokawa Inari Sapporo Betsuin
English Translation: Bountiful River Inario Sapporo Branch Temple
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 15
First Visit: 21-May-2018
Location: Sapporo
Address: 4 Chome-1-1 Minami 7 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0807
Coordinates: 43.0522254,141.3537571

The first fox place that we should find in Sapporo. Note that this is a temple and not a shrine, and also a branch temple of Toyokawa Inari, to which we'll get eventually, but not for quite a long bit yet. Despite that, it still features a Torii and two pairs of life-sized stone foxes, one outside and another inside, along with quite a bunch of smaller and tiny foxes inside.

🡻Morioka - Hokkaido🡹

This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post were in Morioka, and all Shrines until the next marker are on Hokkaido.

Hokkaido isn't big on fox shrines for two reasons: First, the Japanese only expanded there rather late in their history (19th century). As such, there generally aren't many shrines here. And second, Hokkaido is not exactly famous for growing rice, so the rice deity Inari doesn't have as much influence there.

164 ~ Nanbu Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  南部稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Nanbu Inari Jinja
English Translation: Southern Part Inari Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Sakurayama Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 1-42 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-0023 

The final fox shrine that I should find on my first visit to Morioka. This one is a side shrine of Sakurayama Jinja (桜山神社 "Cherry Mountain Shrine"), and is located within the Morioka Joseki Kouen (盛岡城跡公園 "Morioka Castle Ruins Park"). A pair of tiny porcelain foxes watch over this shrine.

163 ~ Ryokufuuen

 

Japanese Name:  緑風苑
Romanized Reading: Ryokufuuen
English Translation: Summer Breeze Garden
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate 020-0061

Located between the previous shrine and the pond, this tiny garden-shrine features only a single pair of small stone foxes to watch over it. They might look life-sized on the photos, but they're only about the size of adolescent kits. The coins at their paws make a good reference. This is also the final foxy side shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja.

162 ~ Nameless Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate 020-0061

A tiny nameless side shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja, featuring SO MANY foxes. Most of them are tiny porcelain foxes, but there's some made from stone as well, and also a pair of life-sized stone foxes out in front. This is also the side shrine that prompted me to consider Sakakiyama Inari a Golden Fox Shrine.
 

161 ~ Kanedsukuri Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  金殖神社
Romanized Reading: Kanedsukuri Jinja
English Translation: Moneymaking Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate 020-0061

The second foxy side shrine of Kanedsukuri Jinja. This one has more "standard" life-sized stone foxes watching over it. Despite it not bearing Inari in its name, it is still clearly marked as an Inari shrine by the emblem on the cloth, which makes sense, since Inari is also the deity of prosperity.

160 ~ Tokome Inari

 

Japanese Name:  斗米稲荷
Romanized Reading: Tokome Inari
English Translation: Rice Dipper Inari
Size: Tiny Side Shrine of Sakakiyama Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate 020-0061

One of the many tiny side shrines of Sakakiyama Inari. This one features a pair of very crudely hewn yet still recognizable stone foxes. The name of this shrine is actually a best guess from what I could read from a nearby plaque depicting the history of the many tiny shrines in this area.

159 GOLDEN ~ Sakakiyama Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  榊山稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Sakakiyama Inari Jinja
English Translation: Sakaki Mountain Inari Shrine
Size: Big
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 12
First Visit: 20-May-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 2 Chome-12-12 Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate 020-0061

The third Golden Fox Shrine that I come across in my travels, and the northernmost one at that, and also the first fox shrine my friend and I find in Morioka (盛岡 "Prosperous Hill"). We actually found this one purely by chance because I wanted to check out the nearby Kitsune Mori (狐森 "Fox Forest") and Inari Kubo (稲荷窪 "Inari Hollow"). We didn't  find any life foxes there, but instead came across this shrine which features a respectable number of foxes at both its main and side shrines. It is nothing compared to some of the Golden Fox Shrines yet to come, but at this point, it is still foxy enough to qualify.

Incidentally, the eponymous Sakaki tree (cleyera japonica) is a Japanese evergreen tree that is considered sacred in Shinto faith, and as such is commonly found at shrines. Its leaves are frequently used in Shinto rituals.
 

Morioka🡹

This is just a marker post. All shrines until the next marker are in Morioka.