Inari

=Inari Okami= By: Annie Harb and Ben Trouvais

History
Inari Okami, a Shinto kami, is actually represented by both a male and a female, separating it from other Shinto gods and goddesses. While no official text says whether Inari is male or female, people tend to believe in what they were taught by teachers, priests, or family. It is also said that Inari could be in the form of fox, because Inari can be represented by a Kitsune or fox. While this belief is common with people in all parts of Japan, Shinto priests do not teach this and most will often discourage the worship of Inari being in the form of a fox. No matter what form Inari is in, it is a fact that all priests claim that the diety is the kami of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, and industry. Because of what people believe Inari rules over, the diety had soon become, by around the 16th century, the patron of blacksmiths and the protector of warriors. Suprising enough, Inari is an important figure in both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. The kitsune that Inari rules over, are said to be Inari's messengers, the one's who connect the diety to the natural world. After the widespread of Inari belief, many people in Edo began to worship the diety very intensly. Hundreds of shrines were establish to Inari in Edo, and soon, Inari also became the diety of health and was also believed to prevent fires. Inari soon also bacame the patron of fisherman, giving them the luck to havest a good amount of fish. At the beggining of the 18th century, Inari bacame the diety of finance, wealth, and industry when metal coins replaced rice as currency.

Impact on Japanese Culture
For 1,000 years after the diety's inception, Inari became the main diety for all things involving money or luck. In a survey conducted in 1985, it was stated that one-third of all Shinto shrines in Japan, which is about 32,000 shrines, were dedicated to Inari. Many businesses, especially in Tokyo, have an Inari shrine atop their corporate headquarters to bring good luck their company. Over the past millenium, Inari has picked up various symbols to represent him/her self. The fox became a symbol, mainly because Inari rules over all foxes. Ever since, foxes in Japan have been considered extremely sacred. Jewlery and coinage have also become to symbolize Inari because of the diety's stong connection with wealth. It is typically customary to leave a coin or bit of jewlery, designated especially for the cause, at the paw of a kitsune statue at a Inari shrine. By doing this, it is said Inari will be pleased and will grant you luck and prosperity.