Maruyama Inari Shrine

The oldest surviving structure on the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu grounds, this shrine dates to the Muromachi period and is designated an Important Cultural Property. Inari, the deity of rice, agriculture, and prosperity, was venerated on this hillside even before the main shrine was founded in 1180. Two stone foxes, considered Inari's messengers, guard the entrance, and red banners donated by worshippers praying for business success line the torii gate path up the hill. Every year on November 8, the Hitaki-sai fire festival takes place here with a performance of Kamakura kagura, a ritual dance tradition going back to the thirteenth century.