澤蔵司稲荷
Takuzōsu Inari

December 8, 2018

History

A notice board in its grounds tells us that the eponymously named Takuzōsu Inari was founded in 1620 by a senior monk of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect, Kakuzan (廓山). He was the head of a seminary for Jōdo-shū monks and trainees attached to the Denzū-in Temple (傳通院) in what is now Koishikawa in Bunkyō-ku. His most famous student may well have been Takuzōsu. In April 1618 he had turned up at Denzū-in saying he wanted to study Jōdo-shū doctrines and was admitted. He proved to be so adept that within three years he had mastered the sect's innermost teachings.

Enshrined Kami:

Main

(Note: numbers in parentheses after kami names

refer to position in How Many Kami table)

From Merged Shrines

None

In-ground Shrines:

Annual Festival:

Japanese wooden Ema plaque with galloping horses

During the night of May 7, 1620 he appeared in a dream to Kakuzan, saying that he, Takuzōsu, was originally the Inari Daimyōjin of Chiyoda Castle, another name for Edo Castle. Having achieved his dream of mastering the Jōdo-shū doctrines he was about to revert to his Inari Daimyō role but would protect Denzū-in. Kakuzan thereupon dedicated a shrine to Inari Daimyōjin in the Denzū-in grounds, although another temple, Jigen-in ( 慈眼院) was named as the bettoji.

Description

About 10 min on foot from both Korakuen and Kasuga Stations. It is difficult to do justice to this site in either words or photos. I use the word "site" because as far as I could see neither in the Takuzōsu Inari grounds nor its home page is the word 神社 used. The shagōhyō (stone pillar at the front of a shrine showing its name) describes Takuzōsu Inari as being the tutelary deity (chinju) of Denzū-in. That said, there are several structures around the site which can only be described as Inari Jinja, or perhaps more correctly as hokora (small shrines). To the side of the main hall there is a stairway leading down to a largish depression in the ground reikutsu the main feature of which is four torii tunnels at right angles to each other, each leading to a hokora. Scattered around the reikutsu are other hokora, kitsune, Buddhist statues, and a statue of Daikokuten overlooking everything. Well worth a visit.

Wooden plaque with carved Japanese calligraphy characters.

(Click on images to expand them)

Entrance to a Japanese temple with stone pillars and lanterns

Small orange torii gate in a wooded area

Row of orange torii gates at a Japanese shrine

Kyoto Fushimi Inari shrine orange Torii gates and fox statues

Red torii gates by a small wooden shrine in a wooded area

Small orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine

Small vermilion torii gate and Shinto shrine 13-105-06

Stone Daikokuten statue and orange torii gates at a shrine

Stone Daikokuten statue holding a mallet and rice sack

Small Japanese wooden shrine and Daikokuten stone statue.

Small wooden altar flanked by Kitsune statues

Pair of stone Inari fox statues with red bibs

Dragon-head water fountain spout at a Japanese shrine

Small orange Torii gate with glass jar and offerings

Stone kitsune statue wearing a pink bib at Inari Shrines

Small red torii gate and stone shrine with fox statues

Stone stairs covered in autumn leaves with guardian statues.

Small Shinto shrine with fox statues and stone monuments.

Small wooden Shinto shrine with stone pagoda and autumn leaves

Stone relief of family of dogs with Chinese characters

White Japanese paper lantern with black calligraphy and crest

Stone statue and lanterns at a Japanese shrine garden

Stone carved Buddha statue 13-105-06 surrounded by fallen leaves.

Ancient stone carving of a deity on a pedestal.

Stone Buddhist statue with pink flowers in a garden

澤蔵司稲荷 Takuzōsu Inari

澤蔵司稲荷
Takuzōsu Inari