AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Ikusagawa Inari Shrine (軍川稲荷神社) is a small, tranquil Shinto shrine set in the woods at the foot of Mount Yokotsu in Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido. Founded in 1854, it belongs to the Inari tradition of shrines devoted to the kami of rice and prosperity, and it rewards a short detour from the main Onnuma area with a quiet, atmospheric stop steeped in local faith.↗↗
The shrine is tucked away in a forest clearing along the Shirodai Skyline road, marked by a series of three torii gates that lead the visitor inward from the roadside. It enshrines Ukanomitama-no-ōkami, the Inari deity of bountiful harvest, together with Hondawake-no-ōkami, and is honoured as a place to pray for success in business and an abundant crop.↗↗
A woodland shrine of Inari
Like many Inari shrines across Japan, Ikusagawa was established to honour the deity of rice, plenty and worldly fortune. The site here dates to Ansei 1 (1854), the early years of Hokkaido's settlement, and has served the surrounding farming community ever since. Its chief enshrined kami is Ukanomitama-no-ōkami, the Inari spirit of nourishment, joined by Hondawake-no-ōkami. Visitors come to offer a simple prayer for family safety, thriving business and a good harvest.
