19‏/03‏/2014

Akasaka Toyokawa Inari Temple

Early flowering cherry blossoms and attendant foxes

By Tomoko Kamishima

Community writer

Edo-higan cherry blossoms

Foxes on the octagonal stone stage

Hon-den (main hall)

Attendant foxes

Stone statue at the inner precinct

Each fox has its own unique expression

Bird playing around the flowers

Some foxes have a baby or ball

Is he eating the flowers?

Red lanterns and cherry blossoms

Early cherry blossoms in full bloom

An early flowering cherry blossom, the Edo-higan (江戸彼岸), is in full bloom at Akasaka’s Toyokawa Inari today! Birds were playing around the pink flowers delightfully. This tree usually blooms around o-higan (March 21) in Tokyo. The enshrined deity here rides on a white fox, and followers of the temple believe that foxes are attendants of the deity. After the wishes of believers are fulfilled, they offer fox statues to the temple. There are large numbers of fox statues all around the precincts.

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Tomoko Kamishima

By Tomoko Kamishima

Community writer

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