Dragon 1 ~ Kayashima Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  蚊屋島神社
Romanized Reading: Kayashima Jinja
English Translation: Mosquito Net Island Shrine
Size: Big
Deity: ?
Dragon Count: 1
First Visit: 18-Sep-2018
Location: Hiezu
Address: 380 Hiezu, Hiezu-son, Saihaku-gun, Tottori-ken 689-3553
Coordinates: 35.4378235,133.3799936

The first proper dragon shrine that I find in all of Japan. Actually, a lot of shrines and temples feature dragons as design elements, but those really just feel like a supporting feature. This shrine, by contrast, has a huge and detailed dragon carving right in the very center, which makes it stand apart from other shrines, so that's why I wanted to point this one out.

241 ~ Funagami Jinja

 

Japanese Name:  船上神社
Romanized Reading: Funagami Jinja
English Translation: Shrine of the Ship
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kikkou Jinja
Deity: ?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 18-Sep-2018
Location: Yodoe-Nakama
Address: 642 Yodoecho Nakama, Yonago, Tottori 689-3424
Coordinates: 35.44446,133.4033865

A side shrine of Kikkou Jinja (亀甲神社 "Tortoise Shell Shrine") that has two small stone foxes watching over it. This one is not clearly associated with any particular deity, but it might be implicitly related to Funadama-no-Kami (船玉神 "Ship Gem God"), guardian deity of ships and sailors, who is said to reside on ships. Note that this shrine also features a little stone ship to give this theory some footing. Then again, it might very well just be dedicated to a local minor Kami, which is actually what a lot of shrines are about.

 

240 ~ Nameless Shrine

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Kichijouin
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 2
First Visit: 18-Sep-2018
Location: Yodoe
Address: 946 Yodoechō Yodoe, Yonago-shi, Tottori-ken 689-3402
Coordinates: 35.461689,133.4299403

The first of two fox shrines that I should find on today's ride. This one is a side shrine of Kichijouin (吉祥院 "Lucky Omen Temple") - a Buddhist temple - and features a pair of slightly weathered stone foxes to watch over it, which probably makes this an Inari shrine.
 

239 ~ Nameless Shrine (Railroad XIng)

 

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Hiyoshi Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 30
First Visit: 15-Sep-2018
Location: Yonago
Address: 710-2 Yodoechō Nishibara, Yonago-shi, Tottori-ken 689-3403
Coordinates: 35.4502063,133.4183285

The only fox shrine that I should find on my short ride on this day, this one is nonetheless special. Not because of the fox shrine itself, for once, though, but rather because of the main shrine. This one is a side shrine of Hiyoshi Jinja (日吉神社 "Lucky Day Shrine"), which is remarkable because the Sanin Main Line runs straight through the shrine grounds, so this shrine actually features a level crossing.

Anyway, this foxy side shrine features a pair of life-sized stone foxes, along with 28 tiny porcelain foxes to watch over it.

238 ~ Tounai Inari Jinja (Fox Carvings)

 

Japanese Name:  藤内稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Tounai Inari Jinja
English Translation: Wisteria Home Inari Shrine
Size: Small
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: 22
First Visit: 13-Sep-2018
Location: Many
Address: Yonago, Tottori 683-0007, Japan
Coordinates: 35.4193235,133.3631913

A small fox shrine on a forested hillside on the west bank of Hinogawa (日野川 "Day Field River"). In addition to a few stone foxes and several dozen tiny porcelain foxes, there's also a lantern with a fox motif here, as well as a keystone with a pair of stone foxes engraved into it. This should also be the final fox shrine that I should find on this busy day, but by far not the last one in this area
 

237 ~ Nameless Shrine

Japanese Name:  ?
Romanized Reading: ?
English Translation: ?
Size: Tiny side shrine of Katsuta Jinja
Deity: Inari?
Fox Count: 22
First Visit: 13-Sep-2018
Location: Yonago
Address: 〒683-0052 Tottori, Yonago, Bakuromachi, 2 Chome−１０
Coordinates: 35.4322623,133.3415363

Another foxy side shrine of Katsuta Jinja, this one is located right next to the previous Inari shrine. This one does not have an official name as far as I can tell, but it's probably also an Inari shrine, what with there being 20 tiny porcelain foxes, as well as a pair of tiny stone foxes here.

236 ~ Inari Jinja

 

 

Japanese Name:  稲荷神社
Romanized Reading: Inari Jinja
English Translation: Inari Shrine
Size: Small side shrine of Katsuta Jinja
Deity: Inari
Fox Count: Many
First Visit: 13-Sep-2018
Location: Yonago
Address: 〒683-0052 Tottori, Yonago, Bakuromachi, 2 Chome−１０
Coordinates: 35.4322623,133.3415363

Aaand, we're back in the Tottori prefecture again. This is a side shrine located in the back of the grounds of the big Katsuta Jinja (勝田神社 "Victory Field Shrine"), which is located just north of the Yonago station in the fork between the Sanin Main Line and the Sakai Line heading out to Sakaiminato. Four life-sized stone foxes - two of which feature Shimenawa-collars - sit watch in front of this shrine, and another four dozen or so porcelain foxes ranging from small to tiny in size are clustered around the heart of the shrine.