Japan: Sasuke Inari Shrine

We discovered the Sasuke Inari Shrine (佐助稲荷神社) by accident while walking around in Kamakura. A set of bright red torii gates lead up a hill into a shrine full of statues of foxes and fox dwellings with families.

In feudal Japan, a hidden village (隠れ里 or Kakurezato) is a remote settlement far from prying eyes, hard to access, and easy to defend. Legend says these villages were often inhabited by ninja.

The Sasuke Inari Shrine is apparently located next to one of these hidden villages, so it’s fortuitous that we discovered it by accident! This shrine was reportedly created by the first shogun of Kamakura,  Minamoto no Yoritomo. According to historians, the hidden village located next to the shrine was the dwelling of a group of ninjas that were sometimes called upon to protect the Kamakura shogunate.

The shrine itself is beautiful. The entrance is marked by a long stone stairway lined with red flags bearing Sasuke Inari’s name. The path unfolds under many red _torii _gates, whose feet are surrounded by small ceramic statues of foxes.

On the top, the shrine is nestled in a dim forest which gives it an otherworldly appearance. On the day I visited, it was also slightly misty which added to the eerie atmosphere. Next to the shrine is an entire “village” of miniature fox statues and their moss covered stone dwellings. It was like stumbling into a fairyland, or something out of a Studio Ghibli movie. I particularly liked the statue that depict a fox family - so cute!

I would rate this place as one of the most magical places I have ever been to.