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by becks
Mexico City, Mexico
May 13, 2002
In Aoyama-dori, just two blocks from the busy Akasaka-Mistuke crossing and the New Otani and Akasaka Prince hotels, is the Toyokawa Inari Shrine. The shrine buildings and grounds are not particularly impressive and the main reason to visit is to see the numerous stone foxes.
In Western legends foxes often have a negative connotation of deviousness and slyness. However, in Shinto the white fox is the messenger of the god Inari. Inari is the god of the rice harvest, which in modern times make Inari also the deity to pay tribute to in order to ensure prosperity in commerce. (This helps to explain the obvious prosperity of this shrine.) The fox has the ability to easily change into human form - a characteristic shared with the snake and badger - and as the messenger of Inari is revered and feared as it can as easily be the carrier of bad luck rather than good luck. The fox is also blamed for causing malevolence in humans ranging from depression to insanity.
However, at the Toyokawa shrine the main task of the fox is as guardian of the shrine of Inari. Hundreds of foxes of all sizes are crammed into the small grounds of this complex. Most have red cloth bibs and there are also flags with the names of donors. Smaller shrines with small red torii are also erected at various points. The water font used for purification prior to prayers has two dragons as spouts - dragons are generally a sign of good luck in Eastern mythology. There are also a number of stone and metal snakes to protect some of the deities.
Another interesting aspect of this shrine complex is that it almost seamlessly blends Shinto and Buddhist aspects - something that was quite common up to the end of the nineteenth century. However, during the Meiji era Buddhist elements were removed from Shinto shrines as Shinto was established as state religion - something very much exploited during the fascist period of Japanese history during the first half of the twentieth century. Currently many shrines again mix the two religions or at least have Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in close proximity. The torii as well as straw ropes are typical Shinto signs of entering a sacred area and usually mark the entrance to shrines.
From the busy Aoyama Dori (also known as Route 246) the shrine is instantly recognizable from the row of magnificent bright red paper lanterns that runs the full length of the grounds at the top of the wall surrounding the complex.
Entrance to the shrine is free. On weekdays outside religious events the grounds are often deserted despite its location in a busy road close to Akasaka.
1-4-7 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107
Tel: 03-3408-3414
From journal Slightly off the beaten track in Central Tokyo