Do you know there are many Inari (fox) shrines in Japan?
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It is the blog How Unique Japan! We always share some Japanese features through this site!
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In the past, we have written about guardian dogs in Shinto shrines, known as Komainu. However, other animals also became guardians or gods.
The most famous animal should be a Fox.
Indeed.
Many shrines in Japan enshrine foxes as deities. Their name is Inari.
Today, we will provide you with tips about those shrines (or the gods).
How famous, and what is the history behind it?
We have discussed the gods in the context of religions.
Yep. Japan has many of them, and each handles different duties—for example, protecting people from illness, accidents, or karma. (If you are interested in that, visit the front page!)
Then, what kind of duty does the Inari have?
The god is a helper in the outcome of Japanese agriculture, RICE.
That means ancient Japanese used to pray for a smooth life with enough food.
One document stated that it dates back to 711 AD (nearly 1,500 years old!). Since then, the Japanese have added additional responsibilities to Inari related to agricultural outcomes.
For instance, ancient Japanese prayed for good health as they were responsible for agriculture.
They believed that healthy foods would promote good health and benefit businesses.
So, Inari’s responsibilities gradually grew widespread.
During the Edo era from 1603 to 1868, the number of shrines in Edo City exceeded 30,000! (The Edo city size was under 70 km².)
There is a saying or wordplay associated with this.
“We have a lot of Iseya (old Japanese department store) and Inari shrines like DOG SH◯T!!”
Oh jeez.
They should have paid more respect to the god.
Why is the FOX?
Then, you naturally have a question. Why did the fox become a god for harvesting?
A correct answer is in thick fog.
At least, there is one suitable theory from his habit.
A fox is a clever and skillful hunter, quickly adapting to its environment.
For example, after humankind (in Japan) started agriculture, the hunters soon noticed there would be food around areas where humans lived.
It is rats/mice.
It is rats/mice.
They will eat and ruin the stock from the farms. It is vegetables, any products from the soil, and RICE.
Indeed. Rice is Japanese soul food.
It is why ancient Japanese admired the animal as the protector of harvesting.
Yep. The old Japanese respect elevates the foxes to a high spiritual class (like a god).
Besides, another interesting theory suggests. A fox’s tail resembles a fully grown rice ear.
Then, you might have noticed that several theories challenge the answer to how a fox became a god. So, the answer is in a gray zone.
The Inari favorite food
Such a unique god has a favorite food. It is a deep-fried tofu (soybean curd) called Abura Age (thinly sliced tofu, deep-fried).
As mentioned, the foxes symbolized the results of agriculture. Therefore, the ancient Japanese offered rice, soybeans, and vegetables.
It (the offerings) gradually transformed into fried tofu because the Japanese thought such food was gorgeous/oily in the old times.
There is one more fun thing.
Japan is popular with SUSHI. It is always seaweed rolling and covering (flavored with ) the rice vinegar.
It is Inari Zushi. So, the rice is in the deep-fried tofu instead of the weed. Indeed. Its name is from the god because his favorite one beautifully covers the rice.
Besides, the Abura age contains soy sauce, mirin (sweet sake), and sugar. Let us say. It is YUMMY.
To close
Foxes are mysterious animals in some Asian fairy tales.
One famous Japanese cartoon showed a big one with nine tails and divine power.
On the other hand, some Western/European stories suggest that they are cheater or sneaky.
It’s such a mysterious animal.
It is all today!
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We now have four categories: Japanese lifestyle, food, the Edo era, and religion.
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