Inari-Okami (稲荷大神)
Associations and Symbols of Inari
Names: Inari-Ōkamisama, Inari Daimyojin, Inari-Ōkami, Ōinari, Inari, Dakiniten
Associations: Foxes, fertility, reproduction, productivity, growth, rice and other grains, tea, sake, protection against fire, prosperity and worldly success
Symbols: The fox, the horse, the wish-fulfilling jewel, sickle, sack of rice and the whip
Patron of: Swords-smiths, merchants, actors and prostitutes
Sex: Female, Male or Androgynous
Who is Inari?
Inari is a kami, or collection of kami from the Shinto faith of Japan. Inari has over 32,000 registered shrines and temples dedicated to them, one third of all Shinto shrines in Japan. It is said that this does not include the home shrines, roadside shrines and other small shrines in and outside of Japan which would bring the number to way over 100’000.
Inari is a mysterious kami in that the name ‘Inari’ can refer to a number of different kami. The term ‘Inari’ is often used for a collection of kami that have been identified as, or associated with Inari at one time or another. According to most Inari shrines, the most common kami perceived as Inari is Ukanomitama no kami.
Ukanomitama no kami, sometimes just referred to as Ukanomitama is a kami that is associated with foodstuffs, particularly rice and other grains, fertility, growth, rebirth and productivity. Grains in Shinto are considered to be the root of life itself, giving us energy and nourishment from the Earth. Therefore, we believe that Ukanomitama and her workings are the reason that all of us are able to experience life and by worshipping Inari, we are giving thanks for the life bestowed upon us by this kami.
Inari is also sometimes seen as a collection of three deities (Inari sanza) since the Kamakura period, this number has sometimes increased to five kami (Inari goza). The identification of these kami has varied over time. According to the records of Fushimi Inari, these kami have included Izanagi, Izanami, Ninigi and Wakumusubi.
The five kami today identified with Inari at Fushimi Inari are Ukanomitama, Sarutahiko, Omiyamome, Tanaka and Shi. However, at Takekoma Inari, the second-oldest Inari shrine in Japan, the three enshrined kami are Ukanomitama, Ukemochi and Wakumusubi.
Inari Shrines
The entrance to an Inari shrine is iconic, usually marked by one or more red torii and some statues of kitsune, often adorned with red yodarekake (votive bibs) by worshippers out of respect. These fox statues usually come in pairs, representing a male and a female. The statues typically hold a symbolic item in their mouths or beneath a front paw – most often a jewel and a key, but a sheaf of rice, a scroll, or a fox cub are also common. The fox is believed to be the messenger of Inari, though they are not Inari themselves.
Inari shrines stand out amongst others due to the bright red colour. Torii are painted in this bright shade, along with parts of the shrine buildings themselves. Red has come to be associated with Inari because of the prevalence of its use among Inari shrines and their torii. The colour red in Shinto is associated with protection against illness and misfortune.
The head shrine, or Sohonsha, is Fushimi Inari Taisha in Fushimi, Kyoto, which is also the biggest and most important Inari shrine in Japan. At this shrine there are over 10’000 torii leading up to the main shrine building on Inariyama. Other important Inari shrines include Kasama Inari Jinja in Kasama and Yutoku Inari Shrine in Kashima.
Inari is also worshiped in Buddhism, though she is represented as female or androgynous and referred to as Dakiniten. In this form she is represented as a Bodhisattva and rides upon a flying white fox.
Depictions of Inari
Inari has been identified as both male and female. The most popular representations of Inari are a young female food goddess, an old man carrying sheafs of rice and an androgynous Bodhisattva in Japanese Buddhism. Inari’s appearance very much depends on the individual devotees cultural and personal beliefs, making Inari a very personal and accessible deity.
Inari is heavily associated with spirit/magical fox messengers (kitsune) and some people believe them to be one, though this belief is generally discouraged by Priests in both Shinto and Buddhism. They have also been known throughout their lore to take the form of a dragon, a snake and a huge spider, the latter being to teach a wicked man a lesson.
The main form I see Inari as is as a young, or sometimes older woman. I believe that Inari is a shapeshifting, fluid kami and I believe that Inari takes the form that we most need to see to break through to us at any particular time.
Worship of Inari outside of Japan
There is an increasing movement of the worship of Inari (Inari Faith/Inari Shinkou) and other Shinto deities outside of Japan. The belief of Shinto being a closed and Japanese-only path is ruined by the Western understanding of Shinto from the World War II era, namely Kokka Shinto (State Shinto). This Shinto was Japanese propaganda to encourage xenophobia and is not true Shinto at all.
Shinto is now generally acknowledged as an open faith to followers of other paths in modern times. In fact, even in Japan most Shinto devotees are also involved in Paganism, Buddhism, Christianity or another faith. Home shrines outside of Japan are becoming more popular as items such as kamidana (home altars)are available to purchase online, and the resources and information of Shinto is increasingly accessible through the internet.
For more resources about Shinto outside of Japan, please see my Resources page.
References/Further Reading:
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inari_%C5%8Ckami
LivingwithKami: http://www.livingwithkami.com
Inari, the Shinto Rice Kami by Becky Yoose:http://www.uwec.edu/philrel/shimbutsudo/inari.html
Fushimi Inari (Japanese text): http://inari.jp/
Smyers, Karen A. The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1999.
Spirit Fox 
Have you visited Fushimi Inari Taisha yet? If not, then when you do you will find your bliss! I will do a post on that particular shrine some time in the future. I’d love to connect and talk more about Shinto and various aspects of the practice of the religion!
Sadly, not! I am certain I want to pilgrimage there, but right now I am unfortunately unable to save that much money. I know it is my spiritual home, so to speak and although I have never physically been there, I very much feel a strong connection with the place.
I would love to see more posts about Shinto and I look forward to it!
I just wanted to add, that I feel the same way. I long to at least visit the place, and when I sit and meditate, sometimes my thoughts wander to thinking about the place, how nice it would feel to be there.. and so on. I just can’t afford a trip so far, and have a dislike for how US airports treat people.
I know this is an older post but I think you might want to remove the link to the Living with Gods tumblr. Not sure what happened there, but there isn’t really any info related to this now.
Aside from that, great information! Really enjoying exploring your site 🙂
Ah thanks! I had forgotten to change the link! It is now ‘Living with Kami’: http://www.livingwithkami.com/ Thanks for letting me know, and I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Cool, thanks for the information