志和古稲荷神社

Shiwa Town, Shiwa County, Iwate

Shiwafuru Inari Shrine

志和古稲荷神社

A Historic Shrine in the Forest with Mysterious Legends

This historic shrine stands in Shiwa Town, Shiwa District, Iwate Prefecture. Although its founding date is unknown, one account holds that it dates to the Heian period, when Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie invited a deity to be enshrined here after establishing their military headquarters at Jingaoka during the Former Nine Years' War. The shrine enshrines Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto and has long been revered for blessings of abundant harvests, business prosperity, household safety, and traffic safety. A sacred tree with a trunk circumference of approximately six meters towers over the grounds, where another great cedar once stood. According to a mysterious tradition, when that cedar fell during a typhoon in 1954 (Showa 29), a mummified fox, regarded as an attendant of the kami, was discovered at its base.

Although the date of its founding is unknown, tradition holds that during the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Minamoto no Yoshiie invited and enshrined the kami here while encamped at Jingaoka. The shrine later received the devotion of the local lords of the Shiba clan.
During the Edo period, the shrine was deeply revered by successive lords of the Morioka Domain and, together with the neighboring "Shiwa Inari Shrine", received their patronage through donations of shrine lands and the construction of shrine buildings.
In 1954, a mummified fox regarded as a divine attendant was discovered at the base of a fallen sacred tree.

From the Chief priest!

Chief priest

Obonai Keiji

While preserving the shrine's long-established history and culture, he continues to conduct traditional festivals and maintain a place where visitors can spend time in peace.

A Mummified Fox Found beneath the Fallen Sacred Tree

One of the shrine's distinctive highlights is "Gokenzokusha Shrine", where a mummified fox regarded as a divine attendant is enshrined. It was discovered in a hollow at the base of a sacred tree that had fallen during a typhoon, an exceptionally rare occurrence with few known parallels elsewhere in Japan. The mummified fox continues to be carefully preserved as a distinctive part of the shrine's history.
Discovering the Relationship between One's Birth Star and Direction

The octagonal "Hoisha Shrine" is inscribed with the principal stars determined by year of birth, including "Ippaku Suisei", "Jikoku Dosei", and "Sanpeki Mokusei", together with the twelve animals of the zodiac. The relationship between one's principal star and direction provides an opportunity to consider auspicious signs and favorable directions during a shrine visit.
Monthly Goshuin Depicting the Seasons in Colorful Chigiri-e

Monthly goshuin are offered featuring seasonal chigiri-e designs, each carefully completed with a red seal. With a different design to encounter each month, the goshuin serve not only as a record of worship but also as a reminder of the season of each visit, making each one something to treasure and look back on.

Shichi-go-san (Children’s Ceremony)
Miyamairi (Newborn Blessing)
Matchmaking
Cutting Ties
Financial Luck
Business Prosperity
Yakuyoke (Purification)
Health & Well-being
Safe Childbirth
Exam Success
Traffic Safety
Fertility
Performing Arts
Love Fulfillment
Bountiful Harvest
Family Safety
Academic Success
Recovery from Illness

Tracing the past

Origins & Heritage

A Shrine with Faith Passed Down Since the Heian Period

Although the exact date of its founding is unknown, the shrine has stood here since ancient times. According to tradition, during the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie invited and enshrined the deity when they established their headquarters at Jingaoka in present-day Shiwa Town, Shiwa District, Iwate Prefecture, during the Former Nine Years' War, praying for victory, giving thanks, and seeking spiritual authority over the region. The shrine later developed under the patronage of the Shiba family, who ruled the area. Formerly called "Hongu," it was maintained until the Meiji Restoration by hereditary Shugendo priests of "Honguji." During the Edo period, it was accorded high status as an Inari shrine of the Morioka Domain and, together with neighboring "Shiwa Inari Shrine," received deep devotion from successive domain lords, beginning with Nanbu Toshinao. Shrine lands were donated, and the lords made personal visits or sent representatives several times a year. The roughly 20-kilometer Shiwa Inari Kaido linking Morioka Castle with the two Shiwa Inari shrines was also developed for pilgrimages.

Main hall

A Shrine Hall Sustained by Centuries of Faith

"Shiwafuru Inari Shrine", which enshrines Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto, received deep patronage from the distinguished Shiba warrior clan together with the neighboring "Shiwa Inari Shrine", and its shrine buildings and grounds were developed under their protection. According to records of the Morioka Domain, when Shiba Akinao, the last head of the Takasuiji Shiba clan, constructed the Main Sanctuary of "Shiwa Inari Shrine" in 1588, its former Main Sanctuary was preserved as the Main Sanctuary of "Shiwafuru Inari Shrine". After the fall of the Takasuiji Shiba clan, Nanbu Toshinao, lord of the Morioka Domain, became a devoted patron, and donations of shrine lands and construction of shrine buildings followed. Beyond the torii gates, the approach passes through refreshing woodland air to shrine buildings guarded by koma-kitsune fox statues. The grounds also include auxiliary shrines such as "Mikokusha", "Gokenzokusha", "Goshinmesha", "Tenmangu", "Kotsusha", and "Hoisha". A purification pavilion, kagura hall, and numerous stone monuments further convey the dignity of a shrine shaped by a long history of worship.

Divine Messengers (Gokenzoku)

A Mummified Fox Discovered Inside the Sacred Tree

Animal-shaped divine messengers that serve the kami and convey their will to people are known as gokenzoku. At Inari shrines, foxes are regarded as gokenzoku and have long been revered as "Byakko-san", or White Foxes. On September 26, 1954, a large sacred cedar tree at "Shiwafuru Inari Shrine", said to have been approximately 800 years old, was brought down by a typhoon. When work began to remove the fallen tree, a mummified fox was discovered on September 29 in a hollow at the base of the sacred tree. The date was a special day associated with the Inari deity, and the discovery was regarded as a mysterious event. The mummified fox is now enshrined at "Gokenzokusha Shrine" and has been carefully preserved, with tradition holding that worship there may bring the fulfillment of wishes. Among the approximately 30,000 Inari shrines said to exist throughout Japan, this is described as an exceptionally rare case, with no similar example known elsewhere. It is regarded as a particularly mysterious and distinctive episode in the history of "Shiwafuru Inari Shrine".