Name

  • Inari Ōkami (稲荷大神)

Identity

Inari Ōkami is one of the most widely worshiped deities in Shintō. Inari is primarily associated with rice (ine 稲, rice growing in the field; kome 米, harvested rice), food, and prosperity, but the cult has evolved greatly over time. Depending on the shrine and region, Inari may be understood as a single kami or as a collective of kami, sometimes described as a constellation of deities related to fertility, harvests, and success.

Mythological role

Inari’s role is best understood through function rather than narrative: ensuring the conditions that allow life and prosperity. The logic is very concrete: harvest → abundance → stability → success. By extension, Inari became a protector of human activities: agriculture, craftsmanship, commerce, business, and new ventures. Many shrines emphasize prayers for shōbai hanjō (商売繁盛, “prosperity in business”) or gokoku hōjō (五穀豊穣, “abundant harvests of the five grains”).

Famous myth

Inari does not have a single, universally known myth like Amaterasu. Because the cult spread widely across Japan, it absorbed many local traditions. Culturally speaking, the most meaningful “myth” of Inari is the way the deity became a nationwide guarantor of prosperity, with shrines that are easy to approach and rituals that are simple: praying when starting something new, asking for success, or giving thanks after favorable results.

The most iconic site associated with this image is Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) in Kyoto, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates.

Worship

Inari is worshiped at countless Inari shrines (稲荷神社) throughout Japan. The most common prayers include:

  • abundant harvests and “never lacking” in daily life;

  • success in business, companies, and projects;

  • protection of the household and material stability;

  • gratitude and offerings of thanks after success.

Inari shrines are often recognizable by their many torii gates and by statues of kitsune (foxes), considered messengers (tsukai, 使い) of Inari.

Symbolism

Inari Ōkami symbolizes a form of prosperity that nourishes: rice and subsistence at its core, and by extension work, income, success, and continuity in modern life. Common symbols include:

  • rice and sheaves of grain, representing abundance;

  • rows of torii, symbolizing passage, commitment, and prayer;

  • kitsune (foxes) as messengers, often holding keys, scrolls, or jewels, depending on local tradition;

  • traditional offerings such as inari-zushi (稲荷寿司), deeply rooted in popular imagery.