Sasuke Inari Shrine, Kamakura

The continuous rows of vermilion torii gates of Sasuke Inari Shrine in Kamakura make the shrine an absolutely beautiful one.

According to old legends, the Inari deity changed his appearance into an old man known as Okina and appeared for three consecutive days in the dreams of Minamotono Yoritomo. Through these dreams, Yoritomo was encouraged to raise an army in order to take on the powerful Heike Shogunate. In doing so, he successfully overthrowed his rivals.

When he was younger, Yoritomo used to be known by the honorific Suke-dono, and there is a theory that the shrine, Sasuke Inari, was named after him. Courtesy of Yoritomo's victory, the shrine was thought to be a powerful centre of good fortune in life and has become one of Kamakura's major 'power spots.'

Entering the torii gates, you'll find a series of steps leading up to the main temple building. Climbing up the the steps, visitors will find the small main building while on the left will be moss covered Inari statues. Throughout the shrine grounds, visitors will also catch glimpses of many Inari ornaments and figurines, both large and small.

Besides the popular vermilion gates, there are many traditional red banner flags that have been raised, creating an area that really does have its own spiritually calm atmosphere.

Sasuke Inari Shrine and the nearby Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine—which is known for its good fortune in money matters—are part of the Kuzuharaoka and Daibutsu hiking course. Fortune in life and fortune in money seem a pretty good combination!

I have visited this shrine many times in the past and always enjoyed it. These days, though, the main temple is currently under repair due to a typhoon that hit in 2019.