More than 1000 stone statues of foxes
Toyokawa Inari and the Stone Foxes of Okazaki
Published by JapanStones.shop
My Visit to Toyokawa Inari Shrine (January 2017)
The location is Toyokawa Inari in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture - one of Japan’s three great Inari shrines, home to over 1,000 fox statues.
Fushimi Inari in Kyoto: A World-Famous Shrine
Another famous shrine is Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, known for its thousands of red torii gates.
Why Are Foxes Worshipped at Inari Shrines?
In ancient Japanese beliefs, foxes (kitsune) were considered divine messengers. People associated them with both good fortune and misfortune. Their mysterious presence may have been influenced by Japan’s frequent natural disasters and cultural respect for animals.
The Link Between Toyokawa and Okazaki
Okazaki City—known as the “stone capital of Japan”—borders Toyokawa. Though no formal record exists, it's likely that the 1,000 fox statues at Toyokawa Inari were created by the skilled stonemasons of Okazaki.
My store offers many handcrafted works made by these talented artisans from Okazaki.
Explore Authentic Japanese Stone Art
In my next article, I plan to explore why Okazaki earned the title “stone capital.”
If you're visiting Japan, I highly recommend coming to Aichi Prefecture to see these sacred places and the heritage of Japanese stonemasonry.
Toyokawa Inari is also worshiped as a god of business prosperity. May it bring luck to your ventures!