History of Shusse Inari Shrine
The original Inari Shrine was built in Kyoto close to the palace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), the samurai ruler of the Sengoku period (1467–1600) who is regarded as Japan’s second great unifier. Hideyoshi invited Emperor Go-Yozei (1571–1617) to pray with him at the shrine when he visited Kyoto in 1587. According to lore, after praying, the emperor declared that the shrine would henceforth be known as Shusse Inari Shrine. Shusse means “promotion,” and this renaming is reflective of Hideyoshi’s famously rise from a peasant famer’s son to one of the most powerful men in Japan.
The shrine is often mistakenly referred to as a place dedicated to the worship of Hideyoshi, when in fact, it is where he worshipped until his death in 1598. It has been moved a number of times and came to its present location in July 2012. To this day, it remains associated with success. Worshippers come to pay their respects and seek good fortune in their businesses and personal lives.