Takekoma Inari Shrine — 竹駒神社

Takekoma Inari Shrine claims to be Japan’s second-oldest Inari shrine, founded in 842 CE — over a century after Fushimi Inari but centuries before most others. It sits in Iwanuma, a coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture that was devastated by the 2011 tsunami, yet the shrine itself stood firm on its slight elevation while the waters stopped just short of its outermost torii. The people of Iwanuma had always called it a guardian shrine; after March 11, 2011, they had proof. Today it draws nearly two million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited shrines in northern Japan, though most travelers to Sendai never hear of it.

Takekoma Inari was founded in 842 CE during the early Heian period by imperial decree of Emperor Ninmyō, who ordered the enshrinement of Inari kami at this location to protect the northern territories and ensure agricultural prosperity in the Tōhoku region. The name “Takekoma” combines take (bamboo) and koma (a small piece or bead), though local tradition holds it refers to the bamboo groves that once surrounded the site. Unlike most Inari shrines which developed from folk worship, Takekoma was established as an official state shrine from its inception, giving it unusual status in the Inari network. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1842 to commemorate the shrine’s 1000th anniversary and survived both World War II bombing and the 2011 earthquake with minimal damage.

Ukanomitama no Kami is the primary deity, the central Inari kami of agriculture and sustenance. The shrine also enshrines Sarutahiko no Kami, the deity of guidance and crossroads, and Ukemochi no Kami, goddess of food and nourishment. This triple enshrinement is unusual among Inari shrines and reflects Takekoma’s role as both an agricultural center and a guardian of travelers on the ancient Ōshū Kaidō highway that passed nearby. The combination of these three kami makes Takekoma particularly popular for prayers concerning business decisions, safe journeys, and family prosperity — earthly matters requiring both sustenance and clear direction.

The founding legend tells of Emperor Ninmyō receiving a divine dream in which Inari kami appeared as a white fox carrying three jewels, each representing one of the shrine’s three deities. The fox instructed that a shrine be built where bamboo grew in the shape of a horse’s mane, rippling in the wind. Imperial messengers were dispatched north and found the exact location in Iwanuma, where bamboo groves swayed on a low hill overlooking rice fields. A more recent legend emerged after 2011: locals tell that on the morning of March 11, unusual numbers of foxes were seen moving inland from the coast hours before the earthquake struck, as if leading the way to safety. Whether true or embellished by trauma, the story reinforced the shrine’s identity as a protector that sees what humans cannot.

The shrine complex centers on a distinctive vermilion main hall (honden) built in the nagare-zukuri style with extended eaves that sweep forward like a wave. The approach passes through a large stone torii erected in 1957, followed by a double-story gate (rōmon) guarded by fox statues holding keys and jewels rather than the usual scrolls and grain. The grounds contain over three hundred stone fox statues donated by worshippers, creating what locals call the “fox garden” — a peculiar landscape where moss-covered foxes emerge from ferns like they’re materializing from another realm. Behind the main hall stands a small waterfall shrine dedicated to purification, fed by a spring that has never run dry, even during severe droughts. The shrine’s ema are shaped like fox faces rather than the standard pentagonal plaques, a design unique to Takekoma.

• Hatsuuma Festival (First Horse Day of February) — The shrine’s founding anniversary, drawing over 200,000 visitors who come to receive special fukumame (lucky soybeans) and watch kagura dance performances featuring fox masks. Food stalls sell inari-zushi and kitsune udon in festival quantities.
• Autumn Grand Festival (September 22-24) — Features a procession of portable shrines (mikoshi) carried through Iwanuma’s streets, accompanied by traditional hayashi music. The festival was suspended in 2011 but resumed in 2012 as an act of community recovery.
• New Year’s First Shrine Visit — Takekoma receives over 500,000 visitors during the first three days of January, making it one of the most crowded hatsumode destinations in Tōhoku. The approach becomes a solid river of people moving toward the main hall.

Late April during cherry blossom season, when approximately 200 sakura trees bloom throughout the grounds, creating pink clouds that contrast sharply with the vermilion buildings. The crowds are manageable compared to New Year’s, and the spring light makes the fox statues appear almost animated. Alternatively, visit on a weekday morning in November when autumn leaves turn the maple trees along the approach path scarlet and gold, and you may have the fox garden nearly to yourself. Avoid Hatsuuma Festival unless you thrive in dense crowds — the narrow approach becomes impassable.