About
The Shōzoku Inari Shrine, quietly standing on a street corner in Ōji, welcomes visitors with its vermilion torii gates, polished by the passage of time. Stepping into the shrine grounds, the bustle of the city fades away, and a pleasant tranquility spreads.
Once, a large hackberry tree called “Shōzoku Enoki” stood tall on this land. According to legend, on New Year’s Eve each year, foxes from all over the Kanto region would gather here, dress themselves in costumes beneath this tree, and then proceed to worship at Ōji Inari Shrine. It is also said that on nights when the fox fires were lit, farmers would predict the next year’s harvest by counting the number of lights. This scene was depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige’s ukiyo-e “Ōji Shōzoku Enoki: Fox Fires on New Year’s Eve,” capturing the hearts of the people of Edo.
As time passed, in 1929 (Showa 4), the Shōzoku Enoki was felled due to road expansion, but on its former site, the Shōzoku Inari Shrine was established. Within the shrine grounds, a monument to the Shōzoku Enoki stands quietly, conveying the memory of those days to the present.
Every New Year’s Eve, the “Ōji Fox Parade” is reenacted by local people. Wearing fox masks and dressed in kamishimo attire, participants parade from Shōzoku Inari Shrine to Ōji Inari Shrine, creating a fantastical scene as if transcending time. This event began in 1993 (Heisei 5) and has now become a winter tradition in Ōji.
The enshrined deity of Shōzoku Inari Shrine is Ukanomitama-no-Kami, worshipped as a god of prosperous business and fire prevention. Especially on the day of the first horse (Hatsu-uma), many worshippers visit, seeking fire prevention kites and talismans.
The guardian fox statues in the shrine grounds hold keys and jewels in their mouths, watching over visitors. Their appearance is like storytellers passing down ancient legends to the present. Also, fox masks decorate the doors of the main hall, quietly telling the tale of the Shōzoku Enoki legend.
Although located in a corner of the city, Shōzoku Inari Shrine is a place where ancient legends and the present day intersect. Visitors here may forget the flow of time and find themselves dreaming of a fantastical night illuminated by fox fires.