Shinto opportunity in the City of Angels coming up!

kitsune fox

The fox guardian of Inari shrines

Little Tokyo in Los Angeles celebrates New Year’s Day with an Oshogatasu Festival. Live entertainment, stalls, Japanese food, mochi-making, taiko, kendo – and a Shinto priestess with sacred items on offer.

Izumi Hasegawa is a licensed priest with the Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honcho). She runs the Shusse Inari Shrine of America, and though there is no permanent shrine building at present, she is operating with a mobile altar and plans to do Saitansai at 12.30.  She writes: “I will have 2 booths. One is the Amulet office, the other is Saidan (movable altar).”

The American operation is a branch of Shusse Inari Shrine which is located in Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture. The shrine dates from the 12th century, and the main deity is Uka-no-mitama-no-Kami, deity of productiveness and business (a manifestation of the kami Inari).  Also enshrined are Homudawake-no-Mikoto, to whom samurai paid respect, as well as the deity of water and the deity of health.

Shusse Inari Shrine is known for Good Luck, Business and Careers, Recovery from Illness, Marriage and Connections, Good Catch of Fish and Good Harvests, as well as Success in Studies. Recently, Shusse Inari Shrine has become popular for Good Luck in the lottery.

Shusse Inari Shrine of America performs various services such as Success in Business ceremony for new restaurants or offices, Safety in Driving for new cars, Safety and Success for Dojo of Karate/Judo/Kendo, Shichi-go-san (7-5-3), Weddings, etc.

The following items will be on offer at the festival in return for a donation: Ofuda (amulets), Omamori (charms), Ema (prayer boards), and Engi-Mono (bamboo rakes, decorative arrows, etc.). All items have been blessed (if you would like a personalized blessing, apply to the shrine in advance).

Izumi Hasegawa can be contacted by clicking here.

Izumi Hasegawa in front of the Shusse Inari Shrine in the Izumo regiion

Izumi Hasegawa in front of the Shusse Inari Shrine in the Izumo region