Central Hotel Okayama

Saijo Inari

by Rabbityama

Saijo Inari is known as one of the three greatest Inari Shrines in Japan (Fushimi Inari in Kyoto and Toyokawa Inari in Aichi being the other two). It is unique, because the complex is composed of a mixture of Buddhist and Shinto elements, so it is also often called a temple, which is why it is usually just referred to as Saijo Inari, rather than Saijo Inari Shrine.

The shrine has an interesting tale regarding it's founding. The shrine was originally founded by the Buddhist Priest Hoon Daishi 1200 years ago. After he entered the priesthood, the emperor fell ill, so Hoon-Daishi was asked to pray for him. He prayed in a cave for twenty-one days, and on the morning of the twenty-first day, he had a vision of the Boddhisattva Saijo-sama coming down on a white fox. Soon after this vision, the emperor miraculously recovered.

When Emperor Kammu fell ill, Hoon-Daishi was called upon again to pray, and after he prayed to Saijo-sama, Emperor Kammu also recovered. Impressed, the emperor wanted to build a temple for Hoon-Daishi, and after Hoon-Daishi received an oracle from his god, he built the temple on the sight where he first reached Enlightenment.

The original structures were destroyed in war however, the oldest modern structure was built in 1601, so it retains historical value. The temple is impressive, and if you take a walk up Mount Ryuo, behind the buildings, you will see many fox statues (a characteristic of Inari Shrines), as well as sacred stones. Some of the stones are quite large. The area leading up to the shrine is a market where you can buy food and souvenirs. Saijo Inari is a great shrine to visit for its history, as well as its beauty!

To see the entire complex and the sacred mountain sites, it takes about 1.5-2 hours. Entrance is free.