The whole time we've been in Japan, I've always wanted to find an Inari shrine, and we found one in the hills just a mile from our house! Inari shrines can be identified by all the foxes surrounding it. Generally, a shrine is guarded by the iconic lion-dogs, but Inari shrines have foxes instead, and are usually fully adorned with them. Inari is the Japanese kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, prosperity, and agriculture. Kami is a Shinto term meaning a spirit of nature that is the manifestation of the interconnecting energy of the universe. So Inari shrines are dedicated to the essence and spirit of the items listed above, and are guarded by Inari's messengers which are white foxes.
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