Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 97% | Center calligraphy clearly reads 伏見神宝神社. The center red square seal in tensho confirms the shrine name. The silver dragon in the upper-center is the shrine's signature 龍神 (Ryūjin) imagery — Fushimi Kandakara is uniquely associated with dragon iconography on Mt. Inari. |
| Date | 96% | Left column reads 令和五年五月二十九日 = 29 May 2023. Same day as the rest of the Mt. Inari pilgrimage in this book. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 伏見神宝神社 (also written 伏見神寳神社)
- Name (Romanized): Fushimi Kandakara Jinja (sometimes Fushimi Shimpō Jinja)
- Type: Shinto shrine — small but ancient, founded in the early Heian period
- Location: On Mt. Inari (稲荷山) in Fushimi, Kyoto — one of the dozens of small shrines along the pilgrimage paths up the mountain. Located off the main Senbon Torii path, accessible via a side trail.
- Date received: 令和五年五月二十九日 = 29 May 2023
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Top right, brush |
| Silver dragon (龍) | Shrine's signature dragon imagery | Top center |
| 伏見神宝神社 | Fushimi Kandakara Jinja — shrine name | Center, large brush |
| 癸卯歳 | "Mizunoto-u Year" — Year of the Rabbit (2023) | Right column, brush |
| Tensho seal | Shrine name in seal script | Center red square seal |
| 令和五年五月二十九日 | 29 May 2023 | Left column, brush |
About the shrine
伏見神宝神社 was founded in the early Heian period (around 894 CE according to some sources), which makes it slightly older than most of the other Fushimi Inari sub-shrines and contemporaneous with the founding of the main Inari Taisha itself in 711 CE. The current building is a 1957 (Shōwa 32) reconstruction.
The shrine is deliberately off the main pilgrimage path, and most casual Mt. Inari visitors walk right past the side trail without realizing it's there. This is part of why a goshuin from here is a meaningful collection piece — you have to go looking for it.
Enshrined deities
- 天照大神 (Amaterasu Ōmikami) — the sun goddess, principal deity (unusual for a Mt. Inari sub-shrine, where Inari deities normally dominate)
- 稲荷大神 (Inari Ōkami) — the rice and prosperity deity
- 十種神宝 (Tokusa-no-Kandakara — "Ten Sacred Treasures") — the shrine's namesake; ten mythical treasures said to confer healing, life-restoration, and protection
What it's known for
1. The Ten Sacred Treasures (十種神宝)
The shrine's name 「神宝 (Kandakara / Shimpō)」 literally means "sacred treasures" — referring to the Ten Sacred Treasures of Heaven that, in Japanese myth, were given by Amaterasu to her grandson Nigi-Hayahi-no-Mikoto (饒速日命) when he descended to rule the earth. The treasures predate (and according to some traditions, are the origin of) the more famous Three Sacred Treasures (三種の神器) of the Imperial Regalia.
The ten treasures include:
- 沖津鏡 (Okitsu Kagami) and 辺津鏡 (Hetsu Kagami) — two mirrors
- 八握剣 (Yatsuka no Tsurugi) — sword
- 生玉 (Iku-tama) — life-giving jewel
- 死返玉 (Shiniagaeshi-no-tama) — life-restoring jewel
- 足玉 (Taru-tama) — sufficiency jewel
- 道返玉 (Michi-gaeshi-no-tama) — path-returning jewel
- 蛇比礼 (Orochi-no-Hire), 蜂比礼 (Hachi-no-Hire), and 品物之比礼 (Kusagusa-no-Hire) — three protective scarves
A ritual recitation of the treasures' names was said to revive the dead and cure all illnesses. The shrine is therefore associated with healing and life-protection (健康長寿 / 病気平癒).
2. The Dragon Guardians (狛龍)
Most Shinto shrines have 狛犬 (komainu — guardian lion-dogs) flanking their honden. Fushimi Kandakara famously has 狛龍 (komaryū — guardian dragons) instead — one on each side of the worship hall:
- 天龍 (Tenryū / "Heavenly Dragon") on the right — holding a golden cintāmaṇi (wish-granting jewel) representing heavenly blessings
- 地龍 (Chiryū / "Earth Dragon") on the left — holding a golden jewel representing earthly blessings
The dragon imagery is unique in the Fushimi Inari sub-shrine network and explains the prominent silver dragon stamped at the top of the goshuin. 2024 was the Year of the Dragon (辰年), which made this shrine even more popular than usual.
3. The "Kaguya-hime no Sato" connection
The shrine is also said to be associated with the Kaguya-hime / Bamboo Cutter legend — a small bamboo grove on the grounds is identified by some traditions as the place where the bamboo cutter found the moon princess. This adds a literary-mythical layer beyond the Ten Treasures.
What the blessing carries
This goshuin is associated with:
- 健康長寿 (kenkō chōju) — health and longevity (the Ten Treasures' restorative powers)
- 災難除け (sainan-yoke) — protection from disasters and harm
- 龍神のご加護 (ryūjin no gokago) — the dragon-deity's protection, particularly meaningful in dragon-zodiac years
- 心願成就 (shingan jōju) — fulfillment of heartfelt wishes (via the dragons' cintāmaṇi jewels)
How to find it on Mt. Inari
From the main shrine at the foot of Mt. Inari, walk through the Senbon Torii toward the Okusha. Before reaching the Okusha, look for a side trail branching off — it's marked but easy to miss. Fushimi Kandakara is a short walk down this side trail, in a quiet wooded section away from the main tourist crowds.
Combined with the other Mt. Inari goshuin in this book (Honden, Okusha, Gozendani, Akenotake/Koshigami), this completes a serious Mt. Inari pilgrimage circuit that very few visitors achieve in a single day.