Enshrined deity
“Toyoukehime-no-Mikoto”(Deity of Fertility)
Divine virtues
Whatever you wish for, it will come true.
Oh God of Anamori Inari, however precious you are!
“Inari” means “to become” or “to grow.”
The word “to become” is a strong power word that expresses the power to produce all things.
Inari is the most precious of all deities, who protects the three essentials of life: food, clothing, and habitation.
Not a day goes by without we do not receive the divine virtues of this great deity, and indeed, the virtues are vast.
Therefore, the deity’s majesty is clearly evident in such matters as business prosperity, family safety, fulfillment of one’s wishes, healing of illnesses, traffic safety, and protection from evil spirits and good fortune.
Also, the deity is mentioned in a passage of Haneda-bushi (the traditional song), which has been read and sung by worshippers.
The song goes, “Anamori Inari’s familiar and respectful name is Oana-sama, and the name is in fashion in Haneda.
If I visit the shrine in the morning, I would be blessed with a good virtue in the evening.”
Down the road, on the “Uma-no-hi” day of every month, the shrine is crowded from early morning to night.
“Uma-no-hi” is the day that falls on “Uma” as the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac are applied to the calendar in the ancient Japanese way of counting dates.
The deity of Inari was enshrined on Inari-yama mountain on the day of Uma, so this day is considered highly beneficial.
In “Uma-no-hi”, the shrine put in Uma-no-hi festival (it’s called Fuku-matsuri) by worshippers, who revere the high and precious virtues of Anamori Inari.
Legendary shrine history
According to shrine legend.
The shrine was founded in the Bunka-Bunsei period (1804-1830).
At that time, when the Kaname-jima Island(where the Haneda Airport is located) cultivate, the coastal levees were often damaged by heavy waves.
One time, a large hole was made in the middle of the levee.
The seawater flowed into the inside of the levee.
The villagers therefore decided to build a shrine on the levee and enshrine Inari-Okami, the Great Deity of Inari.
This was indeed the origin of the shrine.
Since then, the shrine has been blessed with become for the productiveness of grain without harm from wind and waves.
The name “Anamori” means “Great Deity of Inari who protects the fields from the damage caused by a large hole created by wind and waves.”
In November of Meiji 19 (1886 CE), the shrine’s name “Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine” was officially approved by the government, and since then, the shrine has been especially prosperous, with the opening of the Anamori Line (now the Airport Line), a pilgrimage railroad operated by the Keihin Electric Railway.
Also, mineral spring excavations, seaside resorts, horse racing tracks, and the shrine has become a center of both sacred and secular activity.
Everyday, people who visit the shrine, and there is praised as the best in the eastern Japan for its atmosphere, worshippers come from not only domestic area, but also over the world.
According to legends, 46,797 torii (which sacred gates) had dedicated in front of the shrine, which is like a tunnel.
So, it was said that if you entered the tunnel, you would not get wet even in the rain.
However, in the midst of unprecedented turmoil after WWU, the Allied Forces forced the shrine to be moved from its original location (near the south end of the current Runway B) within 48 hours due to the expansion of Haneda Airport.
In Showa 22 (1947 CE), when the scars of the war had not yet healed, about 2,300 square meters of precincts was donated by local admirers as a voluntary contribution, and a temporary shrine pavilions was reconstructed.
In February of Showa 23 (1948 CE), the shrine relocated to its current location (5-2 Haneda, Ota-City, Tokyo).
Since then, with the cooperation of all the worshippers, the shrine pavilions, Kaguraden, and shrine office have been reconstructed.
In the Kaguraden, sacred dances called “Kagura" are performed with sacred music.
And in the spring of Reiwa 2 (2020 CE), the Oku-no-miya (inner sanctuary) and Inari-yama mountain have been rebuilt, and the shrine is gradually regaining the appearance of the old days.
Oku-no-miya and Anamori sand
Once upon a time, there was an old man on the island of Kaname in Haneda.
The island of Kaname has been surrounded by levee because there reclaimed island.
However, it was hit by a tidal waves and the levees were often breached it, he established a shrine on top of the levees to invite the deity of Inari.
Since then, it has not suffered any damage from wind or waves, people has became to call this shrine for Anamori Inari.
One day, when he returned from fishing and looked in his fish basket, there was nothing to catch, just wet sand.
The next day, and the day after that, he caught a lot of fish, but the same thing happened again, only wet sand.
He found it unnatural and taught the villagers.
They attributed this to the fox and surrounded Anamori Inari to capture the fox, but he forgave the fox and let him go.
After this, every time he went fishing, he caught a lot of fish.
In his fish basket contained a lot of fish and slightly wet sand.
After that he sprinkle it in the garden, he has immediately got a lot of guests.
In this way, he became the rich.
So, following his example, people came from all quarters to obtain the blessing of sand from Anamori.
And so, it has been remaining to present day.
How to sprinkle the sand
- If you want to receive the blessings and safety of commerce, industry, agriculture, fishery, and family safety, sprinkle the sand at the entrance.
- If you want to cure illness, sprinkle it under your bed.
- If you want to get rid of a calamity or a bad luck, sprinkle it in that direction.
- If you want to build new construction or additions, sprinkle it in the center of the site.
- Otherwise, please ask “Kannushi” (Shinto priest).
Origen of divine water
・Detection of spring, prosperity of Anamori.
In Meiji 27 (1894 CE), when the Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine located Suzuki-shinden (now Haneda Airport).
Briny water, thicker than seawater, gushed from the wells dug by the local people on the way to search of good water.
From analysis of ingredients, it revealed that the mineral spring was effective for a variety of ailments.
Later, mineral spring inns lined up here and there in front of the shrine, with opening of the Anamori Line (now the Airport Line), by the Keihin Electric Railway.
Therefore Haneda Anamori rapidly developed as a major tourist destination a visit of shrine in the suburbs of Tokyo, and there is praised as the best in the eastern Japan for its atmosphere.
・Miraculous of Anamori, procreation of belief.
In July of Meiji 29 (1896 CE), when it was established “Goshinsui-Kou”(group for divine water) by worshippers.
Prospectus says that this springwater is sacred and that the discovery itself is miraculous virtues.
In the group list the "Kou-sha" which is established as a civil organization for the management and preservation of shrine, a large number of name "Goshinsui-kou" as well as the founding "Goshinsui-kou" can be found in the Kanto area.
Discovery of springwater has acquired new beliefs to Anamori Inari and contributed to the development of the group.
The people who demand for its blessing spread throughout the country, and it was around this time that branch shrines of Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine were established in Onsen resorts such as “Zyousyu-Kusatsu-Onsen” in Gunma prefecture, and ”Bandai-Atami-Onsen” in Fukushima prefecture.
・Environment of intolerable, perpetual of waters.
After WWU, the shrine and the mineral spring inns area were quickly reclaimed and became the cornerstone of Haneda Airport, and Anamori’s Goshinsui once ceased to exist.
However, the people’s belief has never run dry, and the branch shrines in Kusatsu and Atami continued to be revered not only by local innkeepers, but also by hot-spring cures and tourists.
The news report that a natural hot spring gushed out from the area of Haneda Airport in Reiwa (Japanese calendar) as a result of Anamori Inari’s prayer is still fresh in our memories, and it has been relieving the fatigue of domestic and international travelers visiting Haneda Airport.
・Greeting of new-waters, protform reconstruction of Reiwa.
After a major renovation in the spring of Reiwa 3 (2021 CE), a well was dug on the precincts by admirers in April.
The groundwater of Haneda Anamori gushed out again, and Anamori’s Goshinsui was restored in 80 years.
At the same time, a large water jar that had been used in the homes of the worshippers was dedicated, and it had been a Suikinnkutsu which is garden feature, buried earthen jar that makes sound when water drips into it, "Tougoku-ichi", was consecrated to the shrine.
The Goshinsui pumped up from the well and be poured into this Suikinnkutsu, and its soothing sound purifies the hearts of worshippers.
Beginning of Haneda Airport, Association of flying industry
Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), the gateway of the capital city Tokyo, was the once site of Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine and was known as Haneda Anamori-cho.
It is the area that located between Tokyo and Yokohama, it is a major tourist destination for shrine visits.
In Taisho 6 (1917 CE), with the assistance of Kurakichi ISHIZEKI, the head of the “Kanamekan”, a mineral spring inn in shrine towns, there were two young men who considered the importance of aviation development since early on.
Their names were Seitaro TAMAI and Tamotsu AIBA , and they established “Nippon Flying School” and “Nippon Aircraft Works” in Haneda Anamori-cho.
At that time, there is an episode that a flying school trainee who offered “abura-age (fried tofu)” to the shrine on the eve of his first solo flight, the result of his flight went well, so he paid a visit to the shrine to thank it.
From the above, the shrine already had people’s belief in aviation safety at this time.
This is the beginning of aviation history at Haneda and the beginning of the association between Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine and the flying industry.
Down the road, the shrine towns came to attract attention as a suitable site for aviation.
In Showa 6 (1931 CE), the government established “Tokyo Airfield” at the north of the shrine, and many aircrafts began to fly from the area.
Tokyo Airfield opened on August 25, so this date is the anniversary of the current Haneda Airport’s opening.
However, after WWU, the Tokyo Airfield was confiscated by the Allied Forces, and the shrine pavilions, stone lanterns, and numerous fox statues were quickly buried under the runway as the "cornerstone" of the Haneda Airport.
This is the Passion for the community of Anamori Inari.
After the Passion, only one Otorii (The grand sacred gates) was left over.
Although the people were in the face of these unbearable hardship, the people’s faith was not lost.
Owing to the ardent faith of former residents of Anamori-cho and other worshippers from around the country, a new shrine precincts was donated near the Haneda Airport.
Then, not only facilities such as shrine pavilions and Kaguraden, but also lost Matsuri (Shinto rite) were gradually restored.
On May 17, 1955, the old terminal building of “Tokyo International Airport” was constructed on the once site of Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine, and the “Anamori Inari Airport Branch Shrine” was enshrined to pray for safe flights on the top of the terminal.
Since then, the “Anamori Inari Airport Branch Shrine”, accompanied with the “Haneda Aviation Shrine” founded in Showa 38 (1963 CE), had preserved the safety and prosperity of the airport.
When the airport offshore development project began, due to the old terminal building was pulled down so the “Haneda Aviation Shrine” was moved to the Terminal 1 building, and the “Anamori Inari Airport Branch Shrine” was enshrined along with the Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine.
Both shrines continue to be enshrined by “Kannushi” (Shinto priest) of Anamori Inari Jinja Shrine until the present.
Even in the present day, since it was built as a “guardian deity of levees” to protect Haneda from disaster, many people from all walks of life, from dignitaries in the government and airline industry to individual travelers, visit the shrine to pray visit the shrine day and night to pray for the safety of airport construction and to seek blessings for air safety.
Even now, on southerly afternoons, airplanes flying toward southwest can be seen from the precincts.
There are a lot of airport-related companies, training facilities, and dormitories nearby, and the shrine is full of awe and familiarity.
In recent years, the shrine is being revered by not only domestically but also foreign airline companies.
The holy day, colorful dedicated banners lined the precincts to praise the divine virtues of the deity of Anamori Inari.