Inari (Kami)

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Inari statue
Torii path of Fushimi Inari Shrine

Inari ( Japanese 稲 荷 ) is the god or goddess ( Kami ) of fertility, rice and foxes in Japanese Shinto . Inari foxes or kitsune are pure white and serve as messengers. Inari has often been equated with the Buddhist dakinis .

overview

The entrance to a shrine of the deity Inari is usually marked by one or more vermilion torii and some statues of kitsune .

Inari is a popular deity in Japan , for whom there is a shrine in most places in Japan, totaling more than 30,000. One of the main shrines of a network of shrines is the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Fushimi near Kyoto . There, the paths that lead up the hill to the shrine are lined with numerous vermilion torii and fox statues, all of which are respectfully adorned with a red bib. Foxes are sometimes seen as a manifestation of Inari-kami, which is why they are considered sacred in many places in Japan. In the shrine, offerings of rice, sake and other food are made to the fox god Inari to cheer him and his messengers.

Another center of Inari worship is the Myōgon-ji Temple in Aichi Prefecture . Although the temple belongs to the Zen Buddhist Sōtō-shū , Inari is the honzon for its visitors , from whom benefits are requested.

Inari is depicted in both male and female forms. The deity often appears as an old man carrying a sack of rice and followed by two white foxes. The preferred gender is regional and varies from person to person. Because of its close association with Kitsune , Inari is often depicted as a fox. Popular belief also attributes the ability to change shape to the deity. For example, on one occasion Inari appeared as a giant spider to a wicked man to teach him a lesson.

In some parts of Kyūshū , a festival with a time of prayer begins five to seven days before the full moon in November. During this time, rice offerings are brought to a shrine every day and O-mamori ( amulets ) are received for them. The festival is particularly popular in the Nagasaki countryside .

literature

  • Klaus Mailahn: The fox in faith and myth , Münster 2006, pp. 169-213, ISBN 3-8258-9483-5
  • Karen A. Smyers: The Fox and the Jewel. Shared and private meanings in contemporary Japanese Inari worship , Honolulu 1999, ISBN 0-8248-2102-5

Web links

Commons : Inari  - collection of images, videos and audio files