The surprisingly successful ‘On The Fox Trail…’ series is pretty much on it’s last legs. Sad times indeed but there’s still a few more places I want to check out. However, they’re mostly in Kyushu so with travel restrictions at the moment it might be a while until that trip is realised. Luckily, there’s always time for a compilation post or two so here are the best fox-related shrines in Japan that I’ve been to thus far…

10. Anamori Inari Shrine @ Haneda, Ota-ku, Tokyo – Unless you live out here, it’s very rare that you’d come out this way for anything other than the nearby Haneda Airport. However, there is this major centre of Inari worship which can be the final port of call on an eight gods of fortune tour of the area. More details here

9. Shōzoku Inari Jinja @ Kita-ku, Tokyo – A tiny shrine but a really important one as it marks the starting point for the annual Fox Pageant on New Years Eve. Look closely at the floor on entry and you can see some mysterious fox foot prints in the cement. More details here

8. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine @ Fushimi-ku, Kyoto – The most famous entry here. This shrine is one of the most popular tourist spots in all of Japan due to it’s never-ending torii gates that wind up the mountain. There’s fox imagery aplenty too. More details here

7. Motonusumi Inari Shrine @ Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture – Not the easiest place to get to but well worth the effort. Tourists come here for the sight of the many bright red torii gates meandering their way down towards the turquoise-blue ocean but there is a folkloric fox story relating to the place which goes back many decades and involves a white fox visiting a local fisherman in his sleep. More details here

6. Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin @ Motoakasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo – Although Inari is often associated with shrines, this Tokyo branch is actually a Buddhist temple with remnants of shrine influences such as the torii gates and hundreds of foxes on display! This is something of a hidden gem in Tokyo. More details here

5. Jozan Inari-Jinja Shrine @ Matsue, Shimane Prefecture – This shrine lies just beyond Matsue-jo castle but is within the moat and it’s grounds. At the rear of the main shrine are hundreds of stone foxes, some covered in moss, lining the perimeter and leading to another shrine packed full of white ceramic figurine foxes. More details here

4. Takayama Inari-Jinja Shrine @ Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture – Another one that requires some effort to get to but the reward is not just plentiful torii gates but a path leading down to the water lined with a long row of stone foxes in all different poses. These foxes have come from all over Japan and, having done their job of protecting their shrines (too old or broken?!), now rest here in retirement. More details here

3. Sasuke Inari Shrine @ Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture – A pleasant 20-25 minute walk north of the Great Buddha takes you to this quiet and tranquil place. A beautiful tunnel of red torii gates gently wind their way up to a wonderful garden area full of small white porcelain foxes, moss-covered miniature shrines (resembling cute little huts!), rocks and red banners amidst greenery. Don’t stop there though as things get even better a little further on. More details here

2. Keihin Fushimi Inari @ Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture – 108 unique-looking yellow, green, pink, grey and white foxes are packed into this place and all of their poses seem to be different whether they be standing, lying, sitting, crouching, curled up, hiding in a burrow, drinking water and so on. More details here

1. Toyokawa Inari @ Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture – Located about 90 minutes south of Nagoya, this place is fox heaven with it’s Reiko-zuka (fox spirit mound) which features hundreds and hundreds of red-bibbed stone fox statues. More details here

Click here to read ‘On The Fox Trail……At The Oji Fox Parade’

Click here to read ‘On The Fox Trail……At Zao Fox Village (Miyagi)’

Click here to read ‘On The Fox Trail……At A Tokyo Hedgehog Cafe!’

Click here to read ‘On The Fox Trail……At The TFGOC!’