Nestled at the foot of the go-shinboku (sacred tree / 御神木) of the Hokushin-Jinja (Shrine of the North Star / 北辰神社) stands a small Inari-sha (Inari Shrine / 稲荷社), creating a particularly evocative union between the natural and spiritual worlds. Dedicated to Inari Ō-Kami (Great Deity Inari / 稲荷大神), one of Japan's most widely venerated deities, the shrine serves as a place of prayer for prosperity, success and good fortune.
Inari Ō-Kami (Great Deity Inari / 稲荷大神) is traditionally revered as the kami (deity / 神) of rice, agriculture, fertility, prosperity, commerce, worldly success and as the guardian deity of swordsmiths. Over the centuries, the worship of Inari spread throughout all levels of Japanese society, making Inari one of the most beloved and widely worshipped deities in Japan. Closely associated with this kami (deity / 神) are the kitsune (foxes / 狐), who are regarded not as the deity itself, but as divine messengers serving Inari Ō-Kami.
The establishment of the Inari-sha (Inari Shrine / 稲荷社) beneath the go-shinboku (sacred tree / 御神木) was inspired by the frequent appearance of a kitsune (fox / 狐) that regularly passes through the shrine grounds near the sacred tree. In accordance with the long-standing association between Inari Ō-Kami (Great Deity Inari / 稲荷大神) and the kitsune (foxes / 狐), regarded as the divine messenger of the deity, these recurring visits came to be viewed as a particularly auspicious sign of Inari's presence.
The Inari-sha was also established following the wishes of Ōtsuka Eriko, the wife of Ōtsuka Ryūnosuke, the seventh-generation sōke (headmaster / 宗家) of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, and their joined visit and prayers for success and prosperity for their karyū (family school / 家流) at the Yūtoku Inari-jinja (Yūtoku Inari Shrine / 祐徳稲荷神社) in Saga (Saga Prefecture / 佐賀県) in 2025, which became her favourite shrine in Japan.
Today, the Inari-sha within the grounds of the Hokushin-Jinja stands as a quiet place of devotion beneath the go-shinboku (sacred tree / 御神木), where visitors can pray to Inari Ō-Kami for fertility, prosperity, and worldly success.