JapanThis
馬頭世音菩薩・Batō Kanzeon Bosatsu
馬頭観世音菩薩 (the Horsehead Kan'non Bodhisattva)
伏見三寳稲荷神社 (Fushimi Sanpō Inari Jinja) is a tiny Shintō shrine located next to 赤羽橋 (Akabanebashi), a one minute walk from Akabanebashi Station, near Tōkyō Tower. The 神 (kami) enshrined there is 稲荷大明神 (Inari Daimyōjin). The worship of Inari was spread by the daimyō class who maintained the shrines as tutelary deities of their residences. As a result of the practice of 参勤交代 (sankin-kōtai), or alternate attendance, daimyō maintained a minimum of 3 藩邸 (hantei) domain residences in Edo. Naturally they brought their tutelary deities with them and erected hundreds of Inari shrines in the shōgun’s capital.
Whenever I see a new Inari shrine I look it up to see if it was built by a daimyō. This area home to many daimyō residences in the Edo Period, so I thought it was very likely that this shrine belonged to an elite family.
In the Edo Period, this block was called 芝新網町 Shiba Shin’ami-chō and was actually for commoners. But across the street, named 桜田通り (Sakurada Dōri) was the sprawling 上屋敷 (kami yashiki), or upper residence, of the 有馬家 (Arima-ke). The Arima family were the lords of 久留米藩 (Kurumae Han) in present day Fukuoka Prefecture. It was one of the 4 largest daimyō palaces in the immediate area. Interestingly, this residence was built around a huge hill. At the top of the hill sat Edo’s tallest 火之見 (ka no mi), or fire watchtower. The watchtower was a famous landmark and was often depicted in art of daily life in the capital.
So why was this Inari shrine on the other side of the street in the commoner’s town? Well, after the Meiji Coup in 1868, the Arima family had to give up their Edo residences. The huge palace in Mita was presumably torn town and the land repurposed. In those early days of the Meiji Period, some guy named 小林七兵衛 Kobayashi Shichibei wanted to preserve the Arima’s shrine and so he moved it across the street and put it right on the street corner in front of the bridge at Akabane to give it maximum exposure.
Today it’s nestled between tall buildings and you might not even notice it – it’s that tiny!
馬頭世音菩薩・Batō Kanzeon Bosatsu
馬頭観世音菩薩 (the Horsehead Kan'non Bodhisattva)
伏見三寳稲荷神社 (Fushimi Sanpō Inari Jinja) is a tiny Shintō shrine located next to 赤羽橋 (Akabanebashi), a one minute walk from Akabanebashi Station, near Tōkyō Tower. The 神 (kami) enshrined there is 稲荷大明神 (Inari Daimyōjin). The worship of Inari was spread by the daimyō class who maintained the shrines as tutelary deities of their residences. As a result of the practice of 参勤交代 (sankin-kōtai), or alternate attendance, daimyō maintained a minimum of 3 藩邸 (hantei) domain residences in Edo. Naturally they brought their tutelary deities with them and erected hundreds of Inari shrines in the shōgun’s capital.
Whenever I see a new Inari shrine I look it up to see if it was built by a daimyō. This area home to many daimyō residences in the Edo Period, so I thought it was very likely that this shrine belonged to an elite family.
In the Edo Period, this block was called 芝新網町 Shiba Shin’ami-chō and was actually for commoners. But across the street, named 桜田通り (Sakurada Dōri) was the sprawling 上屋敷 (kami yashiki), or upper residence, of the 有馬家 (Arima-ke). The Arima family were the lords of 久留米藩 (Kurumae Han) in present day Fukuoka Prefecture. It was one of the 4 largest daimyō palaces in the immediate area. Interestingly, this residence was built around a huge hill. At the top of the hill sat Edo’s tallest 火之見 (ka no mi), or fire watchtower. The watchtower was a famous landmark and was often depicted in art of daily life in the capital.
So why was this Inari shrine on the other side of the street in the commoner’s town? Well, after the Meiji Coup in 1868, the Arima family had to give up their Edo residences. The huge palace in Mita was presumably torn town and the land repurposed. In those early days of the Meiji Period, some guy named 小林七兵衛 Kobayashi Shichibei wanted to preserve the Arima’s shrine and so he moved it across the street and put it right on the street corner in front of the bridge at Akabane to give it maximum exposure.
Today it’s nestled between tall buildings and you might not even notice it – it’s that tiny!