Inari-line shrine in Japan / Sacred staff of Susanoo / Deep fried thin tofu

Foreign people love fox-line shrines in Japan.

Maybe they feel like foxes are mysterious and ethnic.

Nowadays,Oji Inari Jinjya shrine fox parade is famous.

But if I visit fox-line shrines,

I will get nervous to be polite. 

The reasons are as follows.

Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine is a root of fox-line shrines.

Fox-line shrines are called Inari-Jinjya or Oinari-san.

You can find fox statues in some Japanese shrines.

They are kind of servant staff of boss God,Susanoo.

Amaterasu = Japanese prime Goddess / The Sun Goddess

Susanoo = Young brother of Amaterasu / The God of land,ocean and death world

There are many fox-line shrines in Japan.

32,000 fox-line shrines / Total number of Shinto shrine is about 85,000 

But originally,Inari meant old man God of rice plants.(Susanoo itself or high staff of Susanoo)

There are many levels in the same god.

Please look at this letters.

稲荷 Inari

稲 means rice plants.

荷 means delivery or burden

 So,Inari was God of  "Bumper crops" in ancient time.

But many people have been using this shrine for their wish for rich life.

This wishing style derived from Japan's Buddhism that was imported in the middle ages.

Wish for thriving business and their future health.

Private wishes in front of gods???

Even though Shinto is nature worship.

Therefore,rice plants God felt angry and sad.

Because Inari shrines were just sacred place for dedicating thankful heart

 for bumper crops,nature and earth.

Finally,Susanoo decided to replace God of Inari.

Susanoo put his fox staff instead of rice plants God.(Old man)

Foxes are allowed to punish greed people when they visit Inari shrine many times with greed heart.

After that,interesting phenomenon have been happening in Japan.

If you wish personal wish many times at Inari-line shrine,

it may be fulfilled once.

But it is a very strict bargaining point.

For example,

a family line that many ancestors have been wishing greed things at Inari shrine,

 their future generations lose their luck and health after their rich life.

A time-lag punishment.

Their health and life span will be decreased.

Especially their eyes.

願掛け（Gankake） = Personal wishing at shrine

眼欠け（Gankake) = loss of eyesight/go blind

Same pronunciation of Japanese language is really meaningful.

This phenomenon happen not only at Inari shrine.

Generally speaking, Shinto shrines are not for human's personal wish.

Nature gods are just protecting their area and land.

All ancient people were smart enough to know about nature worship.

We need to remember the truth.

Your future luck and health depends on only your practical efforts and ancestors.

20% / Help from your ancestors / Feel the power

You can't exploit Gods.

If you think so,it is very rude.

Don't use Gods.

We just dedicate thankful heart for all given things that we have already.

We just dedicate thankful heart to nature at Shinto shrines.

This is the most important behavior as human.

Sacred thank power from human is used by gods and gods protect your area.

Only Japanese do this in the world.

This simple cycle is Shinto.

Nature worship is sacred primitive way to be a human.

But you need to a wide eye sight.

By the way,this is an Abura-age,deep fried thin tofu.

We often eat this in miso soup or hot pot.

Some vegetarians eat this as meat because it has rich taste

and we sometimes dedicate it to Inari shrines.

Because fox gods are Abura-age lover.

In ancient time,long processed food was very precious.

So,deep fried things were treated as special gift to gods.

Japanese rice wine Sake is also dedicated to Shinto shrines.

Rice wine also takes much time to make.

This is Inari-zushi,

Inari-zushi is a kind of sushi made of abura-age bag stuffed with vinegared rice.

This abura-age is boiled with sweeten soy sauce.

I sometimes buy instant abura-age for Inari-zushi.

I just pack vinegared rice in it.

Konta is going to have my Inari-zushi tonight.

Photo by photolibrary and wikipedia 

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