Yutoku Inari Shrine

Yutoku Inari was founded in 1687 by the wife of the lord of Kashima and is counted with Fushimi Inari and Toyokawa Inari as one of the three great Inari shrines. Its distinguishing feature is structural: the main hall is built on a kake-zukuri stilt frame, a lattice of vermilion posts and beams standing out from the hillside eighteen metres below, so the building projects from the slope in the manner of Kiyomizu-dera but painted bright red and gold. Stairs and a lift reach it. Behind and above, a path of small torii climbs the hill to an inner shrine with a view over the Ariake Sea and the Chikushi plain. A Japanese garden below the shrine has azaleas in April and maples in November. It is much less visited than Fushimi Inari and has more space around it.

History

The shrine, dedicated to Inari, was built in the late 17th century as the family shrine of the Nabeshima clan, rulers of the Saga area, by Manko Hime, a princess from Kyoto who married Nabeshima Naotomo (Wikipedia, Yūtoku Inari Shrine).

What to look for

• A stilt-built hall - vermilion posts standing eighteen metres out from the hillside.
• A torii path uphill - small gates climbing to an inner shrine and a plain view.
• One of three great Inari - with Fushimi and Toyokawa, founded in 1687.
• The garden - azaleas in April and maples in November below the shrine.

When to go

April for azaleas, November for maples. Two hours.

Practical notes

The climb to the inner shrine is steep and rough underfoot in places. Public transport from the station is infrequent. Some paths have been closed after landslips. The garden charges separately.

Nearby

Arita's kilns are north; Takeo Onsen and Mifuneyama are north-east.

Key facts