Inari Ko - Inari Ko

This group was formed through faith in Inari Shrine in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City. Due to Inari's nature as a deity of agriculture, he is widely known throughout the country as a god of agriculture, as well as a god of fishing and commerce, and even a god of blacksmithing. In addition to being enshrined in a Shinto altar, he is often enshrined in a shrine outside, such as within a house or a plot of land, as a so-called yashiki inari. These can be broadly divided into those owned by individuals, known as yashiki inari, and those managed jointly by a small village, group, or neighborhood. Inari groups are organized around these.

We will look at the former example from Kanagawa Prefecture, where Inari ko are thriving. Apart from individual Inari ko, several households gather to worship the Inari on Hatsuuma in February and are called Nakamainari. Amazake is always offered, and the housewives of the innkeepers from the previous year and the current year prepare it about two days in advance. In advance, a section of the house on duty is set up with sakaki branches at the four corners as a funeral hall, and red rice is offered. A flag is then set up nearby. On the day of the festival, children from the group go around to the Inari shrines of each household while beating drums. The main meal begins in the evening. As soon as the festival is over, the flag is sent to the next group on duty. There seem to be some groups of a certain age or groups separated by gender, like the Tenjinko, but there are few examples and it is unlikely to have been an ancient form.

[Masaru Sasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市伏見(ふしみ)区にある稲荷神社などに対する信仰から結ばれている講。稲荷の作神的性格から農耕神としてはもちろんのこと、豊漁を願う漁業の神、商業の神、ひいては鍛冶(かじ)の神として広く全国的に普及している。神棚に祀(まつ)るほかに、邸内や一定の土地の一区画など屋外に祭場をもつ形態、いわゆる屋敷神として祀られている場合が多い。これを大別すると、屋敷稲荷などとよばれる個人持ちのものと、小字(あざ)や組、町内単位で管理にあたる共同のものとがある。これらを中心にして稲荷講が行われるのである。

　稲荷講の盛んな神奈川県の事例から前者をみていくことにする。個人のとは別に、2月初午(はつうま)に数戸が集まって祀る稲荷をナカマイナリという。甘酒はかならず供えるので、前年と本年の宿の主婦が2日ほど前に仕込む。あらかじめ当番の家の一画、その四隅に榊(さかき)を立てて斎場として赤飯を供える。そのそばには幟(のぼり)を立てる。当日は講中の子供が太鼓をたたきながら、各家の稲荷を回る。夕方から本膳(ほんぜん)が始まる。祭りが終わるとすぐに幟を次の当番に送る。なお、天神講のように一定の年齢、あるいは男女別の集団の講もあるようだが、事例も少なく、古くからの形態とは考えにくいものである。

［佐々木勝］

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