Nishiyama Inari Jinja Shrine

Rows of vermilion torii gates climb the hillside near the Shimoncho entrance to Kumagawa-juku post town, leading to this small shrine dedicated to Inari, deity of agriculture and commerce. Local oral history suggests it was established between 1680 and 1760, with its founding spirit said to have come directly from Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. Every autumn, the shrine holds an ohitaki ritual where wooden prayer sticks are burned in sacred fire, a practice shared with the Kyoto mother shrine. Note that fallen trees can block the path, and hiking in poor weather is not advised.