353 ~ Fushimi Inari (Car Blessing)

Japanese Name: 伏見稲荷
Romanized Reading: Fushimi Inari
English Translation: Prostrated Hopes Inari
Size: Small Side Shrine of Okayama Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-Dec-2018
Location: Okayama
Address: 2-33 Ishizekicho, Kita Ward, Okayama, 700-0813
Coordinates: 34.66807,133.93154

A vulpine side shrine of Okayama Jinja (岡山神社 "Hill Mountain Shrine"). Two life sized stone foxes watch over this shrine.

Incidentally, I also saw someone getting a blessing for his new car here, in front of Okayama Jinja. There's a driveway so you can drive right up to the shrine from the nearby road, so maybe this is a specialty of this shrine.

352 ~ Shrine inside Kaminochou​ Kaikan (Fox Lanterns)

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2 (Lanterns)
First Visit: 20-Dec-2018
Location: Okayama
Address: 9-39 Tenjincho, Kita Ward, Okayama, 700-0814
Coordinates: 34.6663,133.9298

Located right next to the approach to the previous shrine, there's a building containing the Kaminochou Kaikan (上之町會館 "Upper Town Art Gallery"). At the bottom of the staircase, there's this tiny shrine, which is how I spotted it in passing. This one features now fox statues, but has two fox lanterns.
 

351 ~ Jinkurou Inari (Komainu & Foxes)

 

Japanese Name: 甚九郎稲荷
Romanized Reading: Jinkurou Inari
English Translation: Great Nine Sons Inari
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 20-Dec-2018
Location: Okayama
Address: 9-41 Tenjincho, Kita Ward, Okayama, 700-0814
Coordinates: 34.66662,133.92992

This fox shrine is unusual in that it features both Komainu and foxes as its guardians. Normally, it's either one or the other. But as it is, a pair of Komainu sit watch at the outside gates, then there's one lone, life sized stone fox to the right of the approach to the shrine, and then another two just outside the shrine building.
 

350 ~ Joukou Inari & Tomiyoshi Inari (Fox Lanterns)

 

Japanese Names: 浄光稲荷, 富吉稲荷
Romanized Readings: Joukou Inari, Tomiyoshi Inari
English Translations: Pure Light Inari, Wealth and Luck Inari
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4 (+2 on Lanterns)
First Visit: 20-Dec-2018
Location: Okayama
Address: 1-7 Banzanchō, Kita Ward, Okayama, 700-0818
Coordinates: 34.66623,133.92667

A tiny fox shrine that I found in a backyard. On Google Maps, the whole block is a big construction site now, so this one might no longer be here. Then again, sometimes shrines are relocated or rebuilt in the wake of construction, so it might still be around.

Anyway, at the time of my visiting this one featured four tiny porcelain foxes, as well as two fox lanterns, which is the first time I saw those.
 

349 ~ Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny side shrine of Doutsuu Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 20-Dec-2018
Location: Okayama
Address: 1-3 Iwatacho, Kita Ward, Okayama, 700-0022
Coordinates: 34.66887,133.92028

The first fox shrine I should find on my one day in Okayama. This one is a side shrine of Doutsuu Jinja (道通神社 "Road Traffic Shrine") which is itself only a very small shrine jammed between two buildings next to a main road. A pair of tiny porcelain foxes reside within this shrine.

🡻Onomichi - Okayama🡹

This is just a marker post. All shrines before this post are in (or near) Onomichi, and all shrines after this are in Okayama.

348 ~ Another Side Shrine of Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 0.5
First Visit: 18-Dec-2018
Location: Tadanoumi
Address: 4-chōme-2-35 Tadanoumi Nakamachi, Takehara, Hiroshima 729-2316
Coordinates: 34.3404,132.9901

The second, just barely foxy side shrine of Tadanoumi Inari Jinja. This one just features a single tiny porcelain fox, and the poor little thing is missing both its head and most of its tail.
 

347 ~ Side Shrine of Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 6
First Visit: 18-Dec-2018
Location: Tadanoumi
Address: 4-chōme-2-35 Tadanoumi Nakamachi, Takehara, Hiroshima 729-2316
Coordinates: 34.3404,132.9901

One of the vulpine side shrines of Tadanoumi's Inari Jinja. This one features six tiny porcelain foxes.
 

346 ~ Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name: 稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 18-Dec-2018
Location: Tadanoumi
Address: 4-chōme-2-35 Tadanoumi Nakamachi, Takehara, Hiroshima 729-2316
Coordinates: 34.34048,132.99015

The first fox shrine that I should find on my trip to Ookunoashima, the island of rabbits. This one is located in the coastal town of Tadanoumi (忠海 "Ocean of Loaylty"), which is located roughly 20km southwest of Onomichi as the dragon flies. The ferry to Ookunoashima departs from here on a hourly basis, which gave me time to explore the town and find this fox shrine.

Two life-sized stone foxes sit watch outside, and a good number of tiny porcelain foxes reside within (but not enough to qualify this shrine for bronze rank).
 

345 ~ Yoshitaki Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: 吉瀧稲荷大明神
Romanized Reading: Yoshitaki Inari Daimyoujin
English Translation: Lucky Waterfall Inari Great Radiant Deity
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 13 Ozakihonmachi, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0054
Coordinates: 34.41102,133.20985

A tiny fox shrine right next to a house. If it wasn't for the empty plot of land next to it, it wouldn't be visible from the road at all. Four tiny porcelain foxes watch over this one.
 

344 ~ Takano Daimyoujin Side Shrine

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Takano Daimyoujin within Joudoji
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 7
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4120,133.2113

The final vulpine side shrine found within Joudoji. This one is located to the right of Takano Daimyoujin, and as such not far away from aforementioned fox glade. Seven tiny porcelain foxes watch over this one.

343 ~ Fourth Side Shrine of Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Daimyoujin within Joudoji
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: Very Many
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4121,133.2112

Like with most bronze and silver fox shrines, there's one side shrine here too that tips the scales. This one is it. The fourth of the vulpine side shrines in the fox glade of Inari Daimyoujin on the Joudoji grounds. It has two tiny porcelain foxes sitting in front of the tiny wooden shrine, and then, there's a whole theater stage next to it that is filled with what must be over a hundred tiny porcelain foxes of varying sizes, including a few golden ones, and also some of other designs, although they are hard to make out in all that vulpine bulk.
 

342 ~ Third Side Shrine of Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Daimyoujin within Joudoji
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4121,133.2112

The third of the vulpine side shrines in the fox glade of Inari Daimyoujin on the Joudoji grounds. This one simply features two pairs of tiny porcelain foxes, and that's all there is to be said about it.
 

341 ~ Second Side Shrine of Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Daimyoujin within Joudoji
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 6
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4121,133.2112

The second of the vulpine side shrines in the fox glade of Inari Daimyoujin on the Joudoji grounds. This one features two slightly smaller-than-life stone foxes to the left and right, as well as a pair of tiny porcelain foxes under the roof. In addition, there's also a pair of much larger porcelain foxes hidden behind the blinds. Those are roughly half the size of the stone foxes outside, which makes them quite big for porcelain foxes (not the biggest I've seen though, those would still be the pair at Kiryu Inari Jinja in Tokyo).

340 ~ First Side Shrine of Inari Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Name: ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Inari Daimyoujin within Joudoji
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4121,133.2112

The first of the vulpine side shrines in the fox glade of Inari Daimyoujin on the Joudoji grounds. This one features the smallest amount of foxes, with only two tiny porcelain foxes watching over it.
 

339 BRONZE ~ Inari Daimyoujin, Inamori Daimyoujin

 

Japanese Names:  稲荷大明神, 稲守大明神
Romanized Readings: Inari Daimyoujin, Inamori Daimyoujin
English Translations: Inari Great Radiant Deity, Rice Protector Great Radiant Deity
Size: Tiny side shrine of Joudoji
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 6
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.41211,133.21126

This one is interesting in terms of classification. Per se, it's only a tiny side shrine of Joudoji with four life-sized stone foxes, and another two tiny porcelain foxes. At the same time, it also sorta serves as a hub for several fox shrines. So since this is the one of them to which the row of Torii lead up, I am going to label this one as the heart of the hub, and refer to all the other shrines in here as side shrines of this one, despite this one being already a side shrine itself.

By the way, this one is located at the northeastern end of the Joudoji grounds, right to the left of the bigger Takano Daimyoujin (高野大明神 "High Field Great Radiant Deity"), so if you want to make it even more complicated, you might also label this one as side shrine of  Takano Daimyoujin, which is a side shrine of Joudoji.

338 ~ Another Jizou of Joudoji

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Jizou of Joudoji
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4119,133.2112

Located literally right next to the previous Jizou, there's the one other Jizou with foxes that I encountered during my travels in Japan. This one features only three tiny porcelain foxes, but that's still three more than at any other Jizou I've encountered. This unusual prevalence of foxes at Jizou might be due to the nearby Silver Fox Inari Shrine - still a side shrine of Joudoji - that I'll cover next.
 

337 ~ Jizou of Joudoji

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Jizou of Joudoji
Fox Count: 11
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 20-28 Higashikubochō, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0043
Coordinates: 34.4119,133.2112

This one is unusual. It's a Buddhist Jizou which also features 11 tiny foxes, which is spectacularly uncommon. In fact, up to the date of me writing this, I only have come across one other Jizou that featured foxes, and that would also be in Onomichi here, coming up the next entry.

Anyway, this one is a part of the big Joudoji (浄土寺 "Clean Soil Temple"), which features many side temples, Jizou, and even some shrines on its grounds. As a matter of fact, I am not entirely sure where exactly this Jizou was located, but I think it was near the eastern end of the temple grounds, as part of a row of Jizou in front of a wall, to the right of which were stairs up to a shrine.
 

336 BRONZE ~ Ozaki Hondoori Shrine (Super-Tiny Inner Sanctuary)

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 25
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 3 Chome-4 Kubo, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0045
Coordinates: 34.41132,133.20937

A tiny fox shrine behind what looks like an old well. It is located near the east end of Ozaki Hondoori (尾崎本通り "Tail Cape Main Road"), and I think it actually might have a name written on the glass-encased super-tiny inner sanctuary, but unfortunately I can't make it out on my photo. Anyway, a total of 23 tiny porcelain foxes are crammed together in this tiny shrine, and the super-tiny glass-encased inner sanctuary contains another two super tiny foxes, which might be made of stone or metal. This is the only time I've seen one of those super-tiny inner sanctuaries.
 

335 ~ Myouryoku Inari

Japanese Name:  妙力稲荷
Romanized Reading: Myouryoku Inari
English Translation: Exquisite Power Inari
Size: Tiny side shrine of Yuutoku Inari Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 13
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 3 Chome-6 Kubo, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0045
Coordinates: 34.41145,133.20813

A tiny vulpine side shrine of aforementioned Yuutoku Inari Jinja. This one features a total of 13 tiny porcelain foxes, two of which are gilded (but the golden color is by now fading).
 

334 ~ Yuutoku Inari Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  勇徳稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Yuutoku Inari Jinja
English Translation: Courage Virtue Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 3 Chome-6 Kubo, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-0045
Coordinates: 34.41149,133.20813

A compact fox shrine located at the corner of a backroad. A pair of life-sized stone foxes watches over this one, and there's also a vulpine side shrine here that I'll cover next.
 

333 ~ Yasaka Jinja Side Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Yasaka Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 3
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 2 Chome-15-31 Kubo, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0045
Coordinates: 34.41124,133.20624

A tiny vulpine side shrine of Yasaka Jinja (八坂神社 "Eight Hills Shrine"). You need to approach it from the north to get to this dead-end shrine. Three tiny porcelain foxes watch over this shrine, and there's the base of a fourth, but the fox on it has gone mysteriously missing.
 

332 ~ Kubo Hachiman Jinja Side Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation:?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kubo Hachiman Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 6
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 1 Chome-11-16 Nagae, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0046
Coordinates: 34.4130,133.2055

Another vulpine side shrine of Kubo Hachiman Jinja. This one is just a little metal house on a stone dais, to small to even fit the four tiny porcelain foxes in front of it, let alone the one tiny tailless stone fox, or the tiny metal fox. Since this one features Inari icons, I'm reasonably (but not entirely) sure it is an Inari shrine.
 

331 ~ Inari Jinja

Japanese Name:  稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kubo Hachiman Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 4
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 1 Chome-11-16 Nagae, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0046
Coordinates: 34.41302,133.20555

A tiny vulpine side shrine of Kubo Hachiman Jinja (久保八幡神社 "Long Time Protector Hachiman Shrine"). Two life-sized stone foxes sit in front, and another two tiny ones sit beneath the wooden shrine's roof.
 

330 ~ Momosa Inari Jinja

Japanese Name:  桃咲稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Momosa Inari Jinja
English Translation: Peach Blossom Inari Shrine
Size: Medium side shrine of Misode Tenmangu
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 1 Chome-11-16 Nagae, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0046
Coordinates: 34.41304,133.20186

A vulpine side shrine of Misode Tenmangu ("Honorable Sleeve Tenmangu"). This one features quite a bunch of tiny porcelain foxes inside, as well as some that might be from stone or wood, and two bigger porcelain foxes that might almost be life-sized.
 

329 ~ 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: 16-Dec-2018
Location: Onomichi
Address: 2-chōme-11-12 Nagae, Onomichi, Hiroshima 722-0046
Coordinates: 34.41608,133.19918

A tiny fox shrine that is accessible by a flight of stairs leading up from the road at the valley floor. Two tiny porcelain foxes watch over this one.