Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin

History and Divine Virtue

Despite its name, this is not a Shinto shrine but a Buddhist temple of the Soto Zen school — the sole directly administered branch of Toyokawa Kaku Myogonji temple in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture. Though affectionately called "Toyokawa Inari," the figure venerated here is Toyokawa Dakini Shinten, a benevolent guardian deity of the Buddhist law, depicted bearing sheaves of rice and riding a white fox — hence the Inari name. Its Tokyo history begins in the Edo period, when Ooka Tadasuke, the magistrate famed as Ooka Echizen, worshipped Toyokawa Dakini Shinten daily and enshrined the deity within his residence; the temple moved to its present site in Moto-Akasaka in 1887. A place of prayer for prosperous business and household safety, it has long drawn devoted followers from the geisha quarters and the entertainment world. Within the grounds stand Yuzu Inari (Namu Nyoi Hosho Sonten), believed to lend money to those in need, and Kano Inari Sonten, believed to sever harmful ties and bind good ones — drawing visitors seeking blessings in both fortune and human relations.

Visiting Notes

• At Yuzu Inari, the custom is to borrow a "yuzu-sen" coin and, once your wish is granted, return it with a token of thanks.
• Kano Inari Sonten is known as an Inari where one can pray both to sever bad ties and to bind good ones.
• As this is a temple, worship is with palms joined. The inner sanctuary and the mound of fox statues are among many things to see.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Toyokawa Dakini Shinten

Location

東京都港区元赤坂 (Tokyo)

Access

About 5 minutes on foot from Akasaka-mitsuke Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza and Marunouchi lines)

Lineage

Wealth & Prosperity

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.