Senshū · IzumiNo.037★Open in map →
Kuzunoha Inari Shrine
A neighbourhood Inari shrine in the old Shinoda forest of Osaka, tied to the legend of the white fox Kuzunoha — said to be the mother of the famed Heian court diviner Abe no Seimei.
This Inari shrine stands in what was once the Shinoda forest, south of Osaka. It is best known as the home of the Kuzunoha legend: a man named Abe no Yasuna rescues a white fox from hunters; the fox takes human form as a woman named Kuzunoha, marries him, and bears a son. When her true nature is revealed, she returns to the forest. That son is said to be Abe no Seimei, one of the most celebrated onmyoji at the Heian imperial court. The shrine grounds hold two features tied to the story — an old camphor tree designated a natural monument by Izumi City, and a small stone well called the mirror well. The shrine has long drawn visitors who pray for safe childbirth and children's welfare.
Why it stays quiet
It stays quiet because there is almost no English information about it, and because it sits off the main Osaka–Kyoto tourist routes. Visitors flock to the Seimei Shrine in Kyoto; few know that the mother's forest legend belongs to this ordinary neighbourhood in Izumi.
Background & history
The shrine, formally named Shinoda-no-Mori Shrine, is recorded as founded in 708. Abe no Seimei (c.921–1005) was a real historical figure who served leading Heian-court nobles as a diviner and astrologer; the fox-mother story is legend, later dramatised in kabuki and bunraku (traditional puppet theatre).
What to look for — in walking order
- Chie-no-Kusu camphor tree
- an Izumi City-designated natural monument; in local legend the spot where the white fox vanished
- Sugatami-no-Ido (mirror well)
- a small stone well tied to the Kuzunoha legend, now associated with wishes for a safe journey
- The Kuzunoha legend
- the story linking the white fox of Shinoda forest to the famous court diviner Abe no Seimei
- Childbirth and children's blessings
- the shrine's long-standing gathering of those who pray for children and safe birth
How to enjoy it
A small neighbourhood shrine used by local people. Come with the Kuzunoha story in mind and take your time around the old camphor tree and the mirror well. The shrine is about a 5-minute walk from Kitashinoda Station on the JR Hanwa Line, a 25-minute ride from Tennoji.
How to actually get there
- Tennōji Station → Kitashinoda Station (JR Hanwa Line, local or regional-rapid, ~25 min).
- Kitashinoda Station → shrine (on foot along the torii gates, ~5 min).
- Return: Kitashinoda Station → Tennōji Station (JR Hanwa Line, ~25 min, trains about every 15 min).
- JR Hanwa Line from Tennōji
- Tennōji Station (a major Osaka hub) →(JR Hanwa Line, local or regional-rapid train toward Wakayama, ~25 min)→ Kitashinoda Station. Then a ~5-minute walk to the shrine. Total about 30 min. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes in the daytime, so no advance planning is needed. Note: express (limited-express) trains do not stop at Kitashinoda — take a local or regional-rapid train.
- Frequent return trains
- JR Hanwa Line trains back toward Tennōji run often, about every 15 minutes through the day and into late evening, so the return is easy. From Kitashinoda you can also ride south toward Wakayama.
Before you go
- Cash
- The shrine is free to enter. Bring a few coins for the offering box and for any charms (omamori) you may want.
- Closing days
- The outdoor grounds are open through the day; the mirror well and the old camphor tree are the main things to see. Any staffed charm counter keeps shorter hours — check the shrine's own site if that matters to you.
- Another way
- Shinodayama Station, the next stop south on the same JR Hanwa Line, is a slightly longer walk to the shrine.
- After you get off
- From Kitashinoda Station, a line of shrine gates (torii) marks the approach; follow it on foot for about 5 minutes to reach the grounds.