【Tokyo Stroll】 Lost in a world of shrine arches and lucky sand! Head to Anamori Inari Shrine near Haneda airport!
Anamori Inari Shrine is located near Haneda Airport. Many visit Anamori Inari Shrine to pray for success in business, or for safe travels. This is one of the many places where one may honor Oinari-san (the god of wealth, harvests and fertility). The sand at the shrine is believed to bring good luck. Take some home and scatter it to bring good fortune in business or for good health. Many visitors return home from this Shrine with this sand. We took a walk to this shrine with Elly-chan to discover its long-lasting history and traditional culture.
Anamori Inari Shrine’s mascot – “Kon-chan”
Anamori Inari Shrine is located approximately 2 kilometres away from Haneda Airport. The nearest station to the shrine is Anamori Inari station, which is a 3-minute ride on the Keihin Kyuko line (Keikyu line) from Haneda Airport International Terminal station. If you’re in Shibuya, change to the Keihin Kyuko airport line (Keikyu airport line) at Shinagawa station. The journey is approximately 20 minutes.
Exit Anamori Inari station and you will notice the cute fox mascot “Kon-chan” waiting for you. As the locals commute to work or school and as the tourists go by, Kon-chan watches over all of them, bringing them warmth. Throughout the seasons and on special occasions, the stone statue of Kon-chan is dressed in stylish clothes, which we’ve heard were made by the locals by hand.
The hall of worship protected by a large shrine archway and a fox
Anamori Inari has a history dating back to the year 1818. The shrine was built to protect Haneda, which was once flooded. The shrine was once located within the premises of Haneda airport before ww2, but it was moved after the war to a nearby location, as many of the locals were forced to move. The large shrine archway we see at Haneda airport today originally belonged to the old Anamori Inari shrine. Even to this day, as if the shrine archway protects the surrounding area.
There are foxes both on the left and right side of the hall of worship. These foxes greet the visitors. Look to the left and you will be greeted by a male fox. Look to the left and you will see a female fox embracing a baby. Looking closely at their faces reveals their impressive expressions.
Receive a cute fox stamp book
We visited the Juyosho, which is the building that sells temple goods. Here, we bought a stamp book. The design was an orange undertone and cute image of a fox. The ceremony fee costs ￥1,500 and to receive a shrine stamp in your stamp book costs ￥300.
The gorgeous stamp is a sign of worship. When you receive one, first join hands and pay your respects to the shrine.
There are many items available for purchase at the Juyosho, such as fox “Tsukaihime” and “Anamamori”, which bring good fortune. There is also a small charm you can purchase which will provide you with a safe flight – a charm that holds historical value with Haneda Airport and can only be purchased here.
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A row of shrine archways leading to the shrine
Many red shrine archways pile up close to one another, leading the path to a mysterious world. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the majestic spiritual atmosphere created by the archways will soothe you.
Once you exit the path of red archways, you will arrive at the centre of the shrine, which is also known as “Oana-sama”. There are many small shrine archways that you can purchase for your home. Many people come here to pray or to honor the shrine once their requests have been heard and granted.
You can take as much sand as you want from the shrine area. It is said that casting this sand in the entrance hallway of your home will bring good luck in business, and throwing it on the floor will bring good health. There are bags available for visitors to collect their own lucky sand.
Mitake shrine on the peak of the hill
Pass through the main shrine and take the side path through the entrance and you will arrive at the shrine of Inari, which brings good fortune. Here you will find two fox statues that were built before the war, paying their respects to the shrine.
Along the path to the shrine, you will come across a shrine of good fortune, a shrine of prosperity and a small wayside shrine. Mitake shrine is located at the peak of the hill. Visit each shrine and it will feel like a pilgrimage. Anamori Inari shrine is a gathering place of faith, so please come visit!
Once you walk to the peak of the hill and visit Mitake shrine, your day has finished! This is a great spot away from the busy rush of city life. Enjoy the mysterious atmosphere created by the shrine arches, and the comfort of the shrines! How about it? If you’re ever in Tokyo, come spend a fulfilling day here!
Photographer & Writer：Haruka Yamamoto
Model：Ellie
information
Anamori Inari shrine
Address：5-2-7, Haneda, Ota, Tokyo
Access：Keihin Kyuko line (Keikyu line) from Haneda Airport International Terminal station・5 min walk from Anamori Inari station
Telephone number：03-3741-0809
■Clothes
Aymmy in the batty girls
one–piece dress：MEXICAN MODE Ribbon one–piece dress ¥18,144（tax included）
Hat：Hawaii straw hat ¥7,344（tax included）
Related artilcle：Visit Temples and Shrines, and Collect Goshu-in!
Related article：【Tokyo Stroll】Strolling around Asakusa for half of the day finding the stereo typical sightseeing spots and new spots.
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Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyarypappa (＠kyarypappa)
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The chewy, sour bread is the perfect combination with the fluffy eggs.Lemon Squash | ¥600
The lemon squash has a cinnamon aftertaste. Everything on the menu is made with love and perfection; before I realised it, I was hooked on going there.Strawberry Shaved Ice | ¥800
This was my first shaved ice of the year! I went with the classic strawberry flavour. The syrup is super juicy and nearly collapsed the fluffy shaved ice the moment I put it on. It has a syrupy texture and the strawberry juice has a sweet and sour kick that's just simply delightful♡ And you can make it even sweeter by pouring over your desired amount of condensed milk. It was really tasty.Kayaba Coffee is the same as it was back in the day, and continues to be loved dearly. I think even people who visit it for the first time will feel a sense of nostalgia. If you have a place you can go to relax on bad days or when you're feeling down, it's sure to give you the strength to work hard again. This cafe is a wonderful place that's close to people's hearts. I want to visit there again already. Writer/Model: Ema TaniokuPhotographer: Haruka YamamotoDesign: Yuko Takayama (ASOBISYSTEM)Translator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga Information
Kabaya Coffee
Address: 6-1-29 Yanaka, Taito-ku, TokyoOpening Hours: [Tue-Fri] 8:00-18:00 (Last Orders 17:30) / [Weekends] 8:00-19:00 (Last Orders 18:30)
Closed: Mondays
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