伏見稲荷と千本鳥居の謎
Mangekyo, Japan through history. On this show, weexplore Japan's famous places through the lens
of history and uncover the stories most peoplenever hear. By the end of each episode, I hope
you'll want to learn more and see these places ina whole new way. I'm your host, Taiki Arai.
Today, we are visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha in thesouth of Kyoto. Every new year, huge crowds
come here for Hatsumode, the first shrine visit ofthe year. It's said to draw more visitors than
any other shrine or temple in the Kansai region,and all year round, travelers from around theworld
come too. What they come to see is the famoustunnel of bright red gates winding up themountain.
It's called Senbon Torii, which means a thousandgates. So, here is a question. How many gates
do you think there actually are? The answer, morethan 10,000 across the whole mountain.
That's over 10 times more than the name suggests.So, who built all these gates and why? Today,
we'll solve that mystery by visiting three momentsin history. The year 711, the end of the age of
samurai wars, and the Edo period. Last time, wetalked about Kyoto's grid, the capital city of
Heian-kyo, built in 794. Fushimi Inari sits justoutside that old grid, to the southeast.
711年、稲荷信仰の始まり
But this shrine is much older than the capital.According to tradition, it was founded in 711,
83 years before Heian-kyo was built. It's said tohave been started by the Hata clan,
a powerful family whose ancestors are believed tohave come from the Korean peninsula.
There's a strange legend about how it began. Awealthy man from the Hata clan once used a rice
cake as a target for archery. When his arrow hitit, the rice cake turned into a white bird and
flew away to the top of a mountain. And where thebird landed, rice began to grow.
In Japanese, rice grows in the Inanari. That'ssaid to be the origin of the name Inari.
So, the god of Inari started out as a god of riceand good harvests, a god of farming.
From here, the Inari faith spread all over Japan.Today, there are said to be about 30,000 Inari
shrines across the country, from tiny ones onstreet corners to small shrines on the rooftops
of office buildings. And the head shrine of themall is Fushimi Inari. But today, most people who
visit Fushimi Inari pray for something else,success in business. So, how did a rice god
become a business god? That's the key to themystery of the gates.
1589年、豊臣秀吉の大鳥居
Let's jump ahead to the late 1500s, the end ofJapan's long age of civil war.
When you arrive at Fushimi Inari, the first thingyou see is a huge two-story red gate.
It's called the Roman War Tower Gate. This gate issaid to have been donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi,
the warlord who unified Japan, in 1589. At thetime, his mother was seriously ill.
So, Hideyoshi made a promise to the god of Inari.If my mother recovers, I will offer 10,000 koku.
A koku is a measure of rice, roughly the amountone adult eats in a year. So, 10,000 koku isenough
rice to feed 10,000 people for a whole year, ahuge promise made to the god of rice. The written
prayer Hideyoshi sent is still kept at the shrine.And for centuries, the story that he built this
gate was just that, a story. But in 1973, when thegate was taken apart for repairs,
workers found the date, 1589, written in inkinside it. The same year as the prayer,
the legend turned out to be true. Even the mostpowerful man in Japan turned to the gods with a
wish, and offered something to carry. Keep thatidea in mind. Making an offering along with your
江戸時代に増えた鳥居と商売の神
wish. In the next era, it spread to ordinarypeople. Now, the Edo period, from the 1600s
onward. After long years of war, Japan was finallyat peace, and trade and business were booming.
People began to think that a god who makes ricegrow could also make business grow.
And so, Inari became a god of business success.Now, back to the gates. Hideyoshi could donate
a giant gate, but ordinary people couldn't. Whatthey donated were Torii gates. That's right,
the southern gates weren't built by the shrine.They were donated by visitors.
A torii marked the entrance to a sacred space.People began donating gates to pray that their
wishes would pass through, or to say thank youwhen their wishes came true.
Business owners donated gate after gate, hopingfor success. Over the centuries, those gates added
up to a tunnel of more than 10,000. And peoplestill donate gates today. The price depends on
the size. So in a way, the tunnel is still growingand changing. That's the secret of the
southern gates. A rice god became a business god,and people's wishes and thanks turned into a
狐のくわえるものと参拝の歩き方
tunnel of red. There's something else you'll seeeverywhere at Fushimi Inari. Fox statues.
A lot of people think the fox is a god of Inari.But actually, the fox is the god's messenger.
Look closely, and you'll notice the foxes areholding things in their mouth. There are four
main ones. First, a key. It's said to be the keyto a rice storehouse. Second, a round jewel.
It represents the god's spiritual power. Third, asheaf of rice. That one's simple. A good harvest.
And fourth, a scroll. It's said to representwisdom. So once again, you can see the connection
to rice and abundance. Here's a fun one. Have youever had Inari sushi or kitsune udon?
Kitsune means fox. These dishes use fried tofu,which was said to be the fox's favorite food.
You'll find them at the shops near the shrine, sothey are perfect for lunch after you visit.
Here are three tips in the order you'll walk.Through the big gate, into the tunnel of gates,
and up the mountain. First, when you walk throughthe thousand gates, turn around and look back.
On the back of each gate, you'll see the name ofthe company or person who donated it,
along with the date. After today's story, thetunnel will look like a long line of people's
wishes. Second, just past the thousand gates, atthe inner shrine called Okusha Hou Haisho,
try the Omokaro Ishi, the heavy or light stone.Make a wish, then lift the stone on top of the
lantern. If it feels lighter than you expected,your wish is said to come true. If it feels
heavier, it may take a little longer. Third, ifyou want to hike to the top,
give yourself time. Mount Inari is about 233meters high, and the loop around the mountain
is about 4 kilometers, taking around 2 hours.There's a viewpoint part way up with a great
view over Kyoto, which is a nice place to turnback. Today, we visited Fushimi Inari Taisha.
It began in 711 as a shrine to the god of rice.Hideyoshi donated its great gate with a wish for
his mother, and in the Edo period, ordinary peopledonated gate after gate as Inari became
a god of business. The thousand gates arecenturies of wishes and thanks, and the foxes
are the god's messengers. Next time, we'll headeast to Higashiyama to visit Kiyomizudera,
famous for its huge wooden stage. Before I go, aquick note. I also work as a tour guide.
If you're planning a trip to Kyoto or Osaka andwould like me to show you around, or if you'd
just like to share your thoughts on the show,please get in touch through the Google form
linked in the episode description. This show isavailable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,
YouTube, and more. If you enjoyed this episode,please follow the show on your favorite app.
I'm Taiki Arai, and this has been Mangekyou. Seeyou next time. Goodbye.