310 BRONZE ~ Inari Jinja (White & Red Fox and paintings)

Japanese Name:  稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Medium
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 7
First Visit: 5-Dec-2018
Location: Kagoshima
Address: 34-15 Inaricho, Kagoshima, 892-0801
Coordinates: 31.61250,130.56856

The first fox shrine I should find after my month-long hiatus in Okinawa, and a very special one at that. It features a total of seven foxes, most of which depict the pair of the white Korai (虚雷 "Void Thunder") and the red Zanrai (斬雷 "Slicing Thunder"), which are featured in the following legend:

During the Bunroku-Keicho invasion of Korea, general Shimazu Yoshihiro - commanding a force of 5000 men - was surrounded by 200,000 Ming troops. Resigning himself to his fate, he was just preparing to commit suicide at Fort Sacheon, when a red fox and a white fox appeared before him.

"Please lend us torches." they said, and with nothing to lose, Yoshihiro did as they asked. The foxes then took the torches and charged into the enemy's gunpowder stores, blowing them up, and winning the day for Yoshihiro. And ever since then, red and white foxes are worshiped as guardians and guides that lead people to auspicious places.

And in addition to that tale, this shrine also features two foxy side shrines. The combination of the unusual colorful foxes here, the legend, and those side shrines makes me feel that this shrine deserves to be called a Bronze Fox Shrine. And if that's not enough, this shrine also features artful paintings of Korai and Zanrai.