Nezu Jinjya

Described as "Tokyo's most beautiful shrine", Nezu Jinjya is a Shinto shrine located in Nezu, Tokyo.

It was established in 1705 by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. It is famous for a path of vermillion torii which you'll see later on in the album. It is dedicated to Inari, the god of prosperity, foxes, sake, and rice. Inari is a popular kami in Japan and modern commpanies such as Shiseido, a cosmetics firm, have shrines to Inari on top of their corporate headquarters. Many Inari shrines feature statues of kitsune (foxes), and offerings of rice, inari-zushi, sake, etc. may be presented at a shrine for the kitsune messengers to plead on the petitioner's behalf. Inari's avatars include an androgynous bodhisattva, an old man carrying rice, a dragon, and a female food goddess.

This album contains images that include the Buddhist swastika, which is not the same as the Hakenkruez swastika the Nazis used in their propaganda. Please do not confuse the two as they are not the same.

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