Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine

Author: Richard Perkins
Photos/Videos Taken: 2021/04/23
Address: 2-980 Shimmaruko-higashi, Nakahara-ku,
Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa,【211-0004】

There are Inari shrines all across Japan, with the main shrine being 伏見稲荷大社 (fushimi-inari-taisha), located in the Fushimi ward of Kyoto city, Kyoto Prefecture. Inari shrines are dedicated to the Goddess 稲荷神 (inari-no-kami), the Goddess of abundant crops (such as rice), and the Goddess of agriculture. Seeing as up until the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) large numbers of Japanese people were farmers, support for the Goddess Inari grew bigger and bigger as time passed. Because of this, Inari-no-kami is the most worshipped Goddess in Japan.

One of the many shrines across Japan dedicated to the Goddess Inari is 京浜伏見稲荷神社 (keihin-fushimi-inari jinja). Located in Kawasaki city, Kanagawa Prefecture, this shrine was built in 1951 (just after World War II). The Goddess Inari was enshrined here to help residents pray for the reconstruction of Kawasaki after the war. The main God here is 常盤稲荷大神 (tokiwa-inari-ōkami) and just like other Shintō shrines in Japan there are fox statues here too. However, there are 108 fox statues, more than in any other shrine across Japan. Foxes are said to be servants of the Goddess Inari, so one will often find them at Inari shrines. Foxes seem to bring the prayers of those who visit an Inari shrine directly to Goddess Inari. For those who come and pray at Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine not to have to wait too long for their prayers to be answered, the foxes here immediately take them to the Goddess Inari to be answered. This is why so many of them are said to be enshrined here.

The fox statues at Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine look slightly different than those at other Inari shrines. They look as if they were individually handcrafted, they’re all meticulously made. Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine is not one of the biggest shrines in Japan. However, several fox statues are difficult to spot. Some of the foxes are hiding, so part of the fun of visiting this shrine is searching to see if there actually are 108 foxes here.

It’s not very big, but in front of the main shrine is a small lake resembling a small water hole. This is the 招福池 (shōfuku-ike) or the “Lake of Good Luck”. It was placed here to worship the 弁財天 (benzaiten—the Goddess of eloquence, music, and art) that floats upon the Chikubu Island just off the Biwa Lake, Shiga Prefecture.

What’s also at Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine is a miniature Mt. Fuji. In the Edo period (1603-1868), it was considered good luck to use lava from Mt. Fuji as the base of a Shintō shrine. For hundreds of years in Japan, Mt. Fuji was considered sacred. This religious faith that the Japanese have towards this mountain can be traced back to the Jōmon period（a few thousand years ago). Remains have been found that show Mt. Fuji had been worshipped from afar, remains that are supposedly from the Jōmon period. Given the importance of Mt. Fuji, it’s no surprise to find a miniature Mt. Fuji in a shrine. At Keihin Fushimi Inari Shrine lava from Mt. Fuji is used in the base of this miniature to bring good luck to the main shrine.