Located in the city of Mooka, Tochigi Prefecture, Iwafune Inari Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Iwafune Okami, a kami believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to farmers. The shrine's name, Iwafune, refers to the shape of its shrine torii gate, resembling the roots of an iwa tree. The shrine complex features a five-story pagoda and several shrines dedicated to regional deities.
- Religion
- shinto
- Enshrined kami
- Iwafune Okami
- Kami enshrined
- Iwafune Okami
- Coordinates
- 36.4992936, 139.8307918
Visitor tip
Visitors can purchase lucky rice tokens, called 'osusume,' at the shrine's gift shop to bring good luck on their journey.
Cultural notes
Iwafune Inari Shrine is known for its unique tradition of 'haguramu', a ritual where participants write wishes and prayers on small paper tags, which are then hung on the torii gate. This practice is said to attract Iwafune Okami's favor.
Historical note
The shrine was originally established in 1596 during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and has undergone renovations and rebuilds over the centuries.