#308



Original Name: 正一位日の丸大神, 正一位荒湶大神, 正一位菊丸大神
Transcript: Shouichii Hinomaru Ookami, Shouichii Araizumi Ookami, Shouichii Kikumaru Ookami
Translation: Highest-Ranking Solar Circle Great God, Highest-Ranking Wild Spring Great God, Highest-Ranking Chrysanthemum Circle Great God
Location: 13-10 Nishikōen, Chūō-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken 810-0061
Visited on: 25-Oct-2018



And finally...

The last of many vulpine Side Shrines of Magatarou Inaka Jinja, and the last Shrine of the path, near the entrance on the other side.

This one features another unenshrined Ookami, as well as a quartet of foxes watching over it.

This should also be the last vulpine Shrine I would come across on my ride on 25-Oct-2018, as well as the last vulpine Shrine I should encounter for over a month due to circumstances that are yet to be disclosed.

#309 BRONZE



Original Name: 稲荷神社
Transcript: Inari Jinja
Translation: Inari Shrine
Location: 〒892-0801 Kagoshima-ken, Kagoshima-shi, Inarichō, 34, 鹿児島県鹿児島市稲荷町34−15
Visited on: 5-Dec-2018



After over a month of vulpine abstinence on  Okinawa, I am thrilled to finally find a vulpine  Shrine again after my return to Kyushu.

Taking an extended stroll through the city of Kagoshima (鹿児島 "Deer Kit Island") at the southern tip of Kyushu, I find this very special vulpine Shrine waiting for me in the district of Inarichou (稲荷町 "Inari Town") near the northern edge of the city.

Unlike ordinary Inari Shrines that have two white foxes, or at least two foxes of the same colour watching over them, this one features a white and and orange one. This is clearly the trademark of this Shrine, as it extends to paintings inside the Shrine, as well as the prayer plaques. Also, it notably has a very solid stone gateway just inside the main Torii of the Shrine, that is also depicted on the prayer plaques.

Either way, from here on out, I am going to mark particularly notable Fox Shrines with the "BRONZE" keyword. This will refer to fox Shrines that I feel stand out from the average ones, but not quite enough to achieve SILVER rank.



The awe-inspiring names of the two foxes are Korai (虚雷 "Void Bolt") (white) and Zanrai (斬雷 "Killer Bolt") (orange) by the way, and there appears to be a story to them, but my Japanese is not yet good enough to decipher it.

#311



Original Name: 金毘羅大神
Transcript: Konpira Ookami
Translation: Konpira Great Goddess
Location: 13-10 Nishikōen, Chūō-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken 810-0061
Visited on: 5-Dec-2018



The other vulpine Side Shrine of above Inari Jinja, attended by a number of foxes both old and new.

This one is dedicated to Konpira, the guardian deity of merchant sailors. Konpira Shrines are not as common as Inari or Hachiman Shrines, but by now I have found enough of them that I recognize the name when I see it written in Kanji.

#313 BRONZE



Original Name: 正一位五所稲荷
Transcript: Shouichii Goshou Inari
Translation: Highest-Ranking Five Places Inari
Location: 19-4 Usutsubo, Saiki-shi, Ōita-ken 876-0849
Visited on: 6-Dec-2018



The one and only vulpine Shrine I should find in the town of Saiki (佐伯 "Assistant Chief") at the little-travelled east coast of Kyushu.

This  one  is a Side Shrine of Funadama Jinja (船魂神社 "Ship Soul Shrine" = "Ships' Guardian Deity Shrine"), and features an impressive amount of foxes. In addition to the one you can see here, there are also foxies lined up in rows to either side of the Shrine, as well as  placed together with various other statuettes to the left, earning this one a BRONZE rank.

#315



Original Name: 大畠命
Transcript: Oohata Inochi
Translation: Large Farm Life
Location: 1 Chome-3 Furumachi, Yawatahama-shi, Ehime-ken 796-8003
Visited on: 7-Dec-2018



The one and only fox Shrine I should find in Yawatahama (八幡浜 "Hachiman Beach"), where the ferry from Usuki should drop me off, and as thus the first vulpine Shrine I should find on Shikoku.

A lone little foxy with a broken tail sits in a little Side Shrine of Ichimiya Jinja (一宮神社 "First Hall Shrine"), located in a field of colourful autumn leaves.  The  plaques inside are already badly worn, so it's a bit tricky to figure out the name. I might have gotten the middle one wrong.

P.S.: This post is coming from  Toronto Airport during my travels from Japan to Brazil. Crossing eastwards across the date line means I get an extra day, so here's this extra post to  celebrate this. =^,^=

#317



Original Name: 稲荷神社
Transcript: Inari Jinja
Translation: Inari Shrine
Location: 〒791-3132 愛媛県伊予郡松前町西高柳128-2
Visited on: 9-Dec-2018



The first proper Inari Shrine I should find on Shikoku, located in Masaki (松前 "Before the Pines") near Matsuyama.

Two big foxes guard the outer gates, and two more are hidden so far within that I can only see the tail of one of them. But I know. A fox is known by its tail.

#319



Original Name: 伊豫稲荷神社
Transcript: Iyo Inari Jinja
Translation: That One Relaxed Inari Shrine
Location: 〒799-3121 Ehime-ken, Iyo-shi, Inari, 稲荷１２３０
Visited on: 9-Dec-2018



This one Shrine is the ultimate goal of my considerably long pilgrimage from Matsuyama all the way to Iyo-shi.

I did not meet many foxies along the way, but a quartet of them welcomes my arrival here, and that's not all...