Sasuke Inari Shrine (佐助稲荷神社,Sasuke Inari Jinja) is aShinto shrine inKamakura and the site of theHidden Village of Kamakura. It is located very near theZeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine.

Sasuke Inari Shrine (佐助稲荷神社,Sasuke Inari Jinja)
Sasuke Inari Shrine
Religion
Affiliation	Shinto
Location
Location	KanagawaKamakura
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates	35°19′27.88″N139°32′20.01″E / 35.3244111°N 139.5388917°E /35.3244111; 139.5388917
Architecture
Founder	Meiji Emperor
Glossary of Shinto

Tradition holds that SasukeInari Shrine was created byMinamoto no Yoritomo. While in exile in Izu, Yoritomo was visited in a dream by an old man from theHidden Village of Kamakura who instructed Yoritomo of the timing to begin battling his enemies. When Yoritomo succeeded and becameshōgun, he created this shrine in gratitude.^[1] An alternative to this story has an Inari Fox messenger appearing in Yoritomo's dream.^[2]

According to Kamakura Historian Shimizu Ginzō, the hidden village that was adjacent to the shrine was the dwelling of a band of people that were the antecedents to theNinja. The remoteness and easy defensibility provided the necessary seclusion to conduct their activities which included elimination of enemies of theKamakura shogunate.^[3]

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  Main Shrine Building
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  Stairs down from the main shrine area
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  Small Inari statues and moss covered miniature shrines
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  View of the so-called hidden village site
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  Overlooking the main shrine to the so-called hidden village site
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  Upper shrine

• The Sasuke Inari Shine is a key real world location used in the 2004 AnimeElfen Lied.

• Moriyama, T. (1998). "Weekend Adventures Outside of Tokyo", Shufunotomo Co. Ltd., Tokyo Japan,ISBN 4-07-975049-8.
• Mutsu, I. (1995). "Kamakura Fact and Legend", Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., Rutland Vermont,ISBN 0-8048-1968-8

35°19′27.88″N139°32′20.01″E / 35.3244111°N 139.5388917°E /35.3244111; 139.5388917