is a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...

and the site of the Hidden Village of Kamakura. It is located very near the

Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine , popularly known simply as Zeniarai Benten, is a Shinto shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. In spite of its small size, it is the second most popular spot in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture after Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. Zenia ...

History

Tradition holds that Sasuke

Inari Inari may refer to: Shinto * Inari Ōkami, a Shinto spirit ** Mount Inari in Japan, site of Fushimi Inari-taisha, the main Shinto shrine to Inari ** Inari Shrine, shrines to the Shinto god Inari * Inari-zushi, a type of sushi Places * Inari, ...

Shrine was created by Minamoto no Yoritomo. While in exile in Izu, Yoritomo was visited in a dream by an old man from the Hidden Village of Kamakura who instructed Yoritomo of the timing to begin battling his enemies. When Yoritomo succeeded and became ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'', he created this shrine in gratitude. An alternative to this story has an Inari Fox messenger appearing in Yoritomo's dream. According to Kamakura Historian Shimizu Ginzō, the hidden village that was adjacent to the shrine was the dwelling of a band of people that were the antecedents to the

Ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

. The remoteness and easy defensibility provided the necessary seclusion to conduct their activities which included elimination of enemies of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Y ...

.Moriyama, p. 103 file:Sasuke-Inari-Shrine-MainShrine.JPG, Main Shrine Building file:Sasuke Inari Shrine stairs.jpg, Stairs down from the main shrine area file:Sasuke Inari Shrine details.jpg, Small Inari statues and moss covered miniature shrines file:Sasuke-Inari-Shrine-HiddenVillageSite.JPG, View of the so-called hidden village site file:Sasuke-Inari-Shrine-OverlookingMainShrineToHiddenVillageSite.jpg, Overlooking the main shrine to the so-called hidden village site file:Sasuke-Inari-Shrine-UpperShrine.JPG, Upper shrine

In popular culture

*The Sasuke Inari Shine is a key real world location used in the 2004 Anime '' Elfen Lied''.

Notes

References

* Moriyama, T. (1998). "Weekend Adventures Outside of Tokyo", Shufunotomo Co. Ltd., Tokyo Japan, . * Mutsu, I. (1995). "Kamakura Fact and Legend", Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., Rutland Vermont, {{Shinto shrine Shinto shrines in Kanagawa Prefecture Buildings and structures in Kamakura, Kanagawa Inari shrines