稲荷(いなり)

いなり
noun
Inari (deity of rice/prosperity); Inari shrine; inari sushi
religionculturefood
1. Inari; deity of rice, harvest, and prosperity
A major deity in Shinto, associated with rice, agriculture, fertility, and business success. Foxes serve as Inari's messengers, which is why fox statues are found at Inari shrines.
商売繁盛(しょうばいはんじょう)を願(ねが)って稲荷(いなり)さまに手(て)を合(あ)わせた。
I prayed to Inari for business prosperity.
稲荷(いなり)の使(つか)いは狐(きつね)だと言(い)われている。
Foxes are said to be the messengers of Inari.
2. Inari shrine
A shrine dedicated to the Inari deity. Recognizable by their red torii gates and fox statues. There are roughly 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan.
稲荷(いなり)神社(じんじゃ)にお参(まい)りした。
I visited an Inari shrine.
京都(きょうと)の伏見稲荷(ふしみいなり)は千本鳥居(せんぼんとりい)で有名(ゆうめい)だ。
Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is famous for its thousands of torii gates.
3. inari sushi; sushi rice in a fried tofu pouch
Short for いなり寿司(ずし). A type of sushi made by stuffing vinegared rice into a pouch of sweetly seasoned fried tofu. Named after the Inari deity because foxes are said to love fried tofu.
お弁当(べんとう)に稲荷(いなり)ずしを入(い)れた。
I put inari sushi in the lunch box.
子(こ)どもの頃(ころ)から甘(あま)い稲荷(いなり)ずしが大好(だいす)きだった。
I've loved sweet inari sushi ever since I was a child.

Cultural note

Inari is one of the most widely worshipped deities in Japan. 伏見稲荷大社(ふしみいなりたいしゃ) in Kyoto is the head shrine and one of Japan's most visited tourist sites. Inari shrines are easily identified by their 赤(あか)い鳥居(とりい) (red torii gates) and 狐(きつね)の像(ぞう) (fox statues).

The connection between Inari and fried tofu (油揚(あぶらあ)げ) comes from the belief that foxes love 油揚(あぶらあ)げ, which is why the sushi wrapped in fried tofu is called 稲荷(いなり)ずし.

Common collocations

  • 稲荷(いなり)神社(じんじゃ) (Inari shrine)
  • 稲荷(いなり)ずし (inari sushi)
  • お稲荷(いなり)さん (affectionate term for Inari or inari sushi)
  • 伏見稲荷(ふしみいなり) (Fushimi Inari, the most famous Inari shrine)
general
Added 2026.3.18 11:01 · Revised 2026.9.25 21:42
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