Torii gates of Inari Shrine
by David Bearden
Title
Torii gates of Inari Shrine
Artist
David Bearden
Medium
Photograph
Description
Inari is a popular deity with shrines and Buddhist temples located throughout most of Japan. According to a 1985 survey by the National Association of Shinto Shrines, 32,000 shrines � more than one-third of Shinto shrines in Japan � are dedicated to Inari. This number includes only Shinto shrines with full-time resident priests; if small roadside or field shrines, shrines kept in a home or corporate office, smaller shrines without full-time resident priests, and Buddhist temples were included, the number would increase by at least an order of magnitude.
The entrance to an Inari shrine is usually marked by one or more vermilion torii and some statues of kitsune, which are often adorned with red yodarekake (votive bibs) by worshippers out of respect. This red color has come to be identified with Inari, because of the prevalence of its use among Inari shrines and their torii. The main shrine is the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Fushimi, Kyoto, Japan, where the paths up the shrine hill are marked in this fashion.
Uploaded
September 26th, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 1,006 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/27/2024 at 6:36 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet