Sep 28, 2013 - 1 min read

Kyubi Inari Shrine at Nasu Yumoto

Nine-tailed foxes worshiped for their guile

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

A nine-tailed fox

Gate and stairs leading up to the alter

Spider web at shrine entrance

9-tailed fox terrorizing Prince Hanzoku by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

At the back-most part of the small shrine (within the larger shrine)

One of two foxes protecting the shrine

Worshiped for their guile and cunning

A smaller shrine within the main shrine

Kyubi Inari (Kitsune Jinja) is a shrine within a shrine at Nasu Onsen Jinja, in the Nasu Onsen area of Tochigi Prefecture. Although there is little information available about the shrine, there are many shrines like it in Japan (the foxes came originally from China and India), where foxes are worshiped. Why foxes? They are clever, cunning, creatures that have supernatural powers and who sometimes terrorize and kill humans. Nasu was the stage for a great battle with the fox, and this shrine is here to commemorate the battle.

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Larry Knipfing

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

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