The first fox shrine that I should find in the greater Nagahama (長浜 "Long Beach") area. Since this is close to Kyoto, the fox capital of Japan, I should find quite a lot of fox shrines here despite only spending a single day exploring.
Anyway, this one is as modest as they come. Hidden on a forested hill in the rural district of Nakano (中野 "Middle Field"), there's Iwagami Jinja (岩上神社 "Shrine on the Boulder"), and that one features a tiny side shrine with a single solitary tiny porcelain fox to watch over it.
This is just a marker post. The shrine before this post was in Nanao, and all Shrines until the next marker are in (or near) Nagahama.
Anyway, a pair of life-sized stone foxes watch over this shrine, which is located not far from the famous egg boiling spring.
This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post were in Nagano, or nearby Yudanaka, and the next shrine is in Nanao.
A fox shrine located along a foot path at the edge of a hill, not far from aforementioned Jouyama Doubutsuen. Two life sized stone foxes watch over this shrine along with a dozen tiny ones made from porcelain and stone. Half of the tiny ones are also gilded, which is something that you see occasionally.
In addition to the already above-average number of foxes on the main shrine, it also features two foxy side shrines, which earns it the rank of Bronze Fox Shrine in my book.
Japanese Name: 深田稲荷社
Romanized Reading: Fukada Inari Jinja
English Translation: Muddy Rice Field Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 23-Aug-2018
Location: Nagano
Address: 2 Chome-18-7 Hakoshimizu, Nagano, 380-0801, Japan
Coordinates: 36.6649744,138.1880584
Japanese Name: 白山稲荷合殿神社
Romanized Reading: Hakusan Inari Aidono Jinja
English Translation: White Mountain Inari Fitting Hall Shrine
Size: Small Side Shrine of Nanase Kannonji
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 10+
First Visit: 23-Aug-2018
Location: Nagano
Coordinates: 36.6457117,138.1961798
This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post were in the Niigata prefecture, and all Shrines until the next marker are in the Nagano, or nearby Yudanaka.
Anyway, this is one of several side shrines of Yasaka Jinja (八坂神社 "Eight Slopes Shrine"), where two life-sized, old, overgrown stone foxes sit watch outside. Those two are already pretty battered, with one missing ears and muzzle, and the other missing a paw and part of the tile. The two tiny foxes inside the shrine are better sheltered, and as such in better shape.
The reasons for this are twofold: One historical, and one geographical.
The geographical reason is simple: Since Sadogashima is surrounded by deep waters, it was not connected to the mainland in the last ice age, and thus foxes are not endemic there. In fact, prior to humans introducing mammals to the island, Sado was a veritable birds' paradise, comparable to New Zealand.
The historical reason is more complex and dates back to the 7th century, ever since when Sado was a popular place to exile political dissidents to. Since this included a large number of Buddhist monks who subsequently built temples on the island, there's an over-abundance of Buddhist temples on the island, and not all that many Shinto shrines. As opposed to the mainland, where Shinto shrines outnumber Buddhist temples by a factor of 3, here it's exactly the other way around.
Combine those two factors and it's not surprising that there are no (or very few) fox shrines on Sado. However, if there is one fox shrine on Sado after all, it might lurk at the coordinates 37.9034571,138.3425674 , in the mountains of Shimokuroyama (下黒山 "Lower Black Mountain").
This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post were in (or near) Morioka, and all Shrines until the next marker are in the Niigata prefecture.
Japanese Name: 大和稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Yamato Inari Jinja
English Translation: Great Harmony Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 3-Aug-2018
Location: Morioka
Address: 3 Chome-18-6 Honchodori, Morioka, Iwate 020-0015
The final fox shrine that I should find in Morioka. A pair of life-sized stone foxes of unique design watch over this one. Regrettably, recent map data suggests that this one was replaced by a car park, so odds are it only lives on in my pictures and memories now. A Google street view image of 2020 also still displays it, so it must have been demolished some time between then and now.
Incidentally, Yamato is the name of ancient Japan during the eponymous Yamato Era from AD250–710.
A little shrine that I should come across during my last trip into Morioka, when our host sent me and the other helpers there to go and enjoy the Morioka Sansa Oodori Matsuri there. I should use the time leading up to that festival to go look for more shrines in central Morioka, and my search should not be in vain.
So, what do you do when you want a tall office building somewhere, but there's a shrine there and you really don't want to upset the deity of that shrine? Well, with this little shrine, the answer was to integrate the shrine into the newly built building. Located on the first floor, the shrine is still basically outside, accessible to the public, with the rest of the building build above it. Two life-sized stone foxes watch over it.
Japanese Names : 竹石神社, 中山神社, 小櫻神社 Romanized Readings : Takeishi Jinja, Nakayama Jinja, Kozakura Jinja English Translations : Bamboo Stone...
