Shrine One: Tanekashi-sha
Tanekashi-sha is the first stop on the Hattatsu Mairi. It is the oldest of the four subsidiary shrines. During the early Heian period (794–1185), it was recorded on a list of shrines that received financial support from the emperor’s court. It was originally located 2 kilometers away from Sumiyoshi Taisha but was moved after a fire in the sixteenth century.
This shrine is devoted to Uka no Mitama no Mikoto, believed to be one of the many manifestations of Inari, a major Shinto deity associated with grain, agriculture, and business. Uka no Mitama no Mikoto is specifically associated with grain, and the shrine’s strong connection with sowing and fertility—tane means “seed”—has made it popular with people starting businesses or hoping to conceive children. As part of the Hattatsu Mairi, a visit to Tanekashi-sha represents the investment and effort needed in the early stages of setting up a successful business.
Tanekashi-sha offers small clay figurines depicting a mother cradling a child, which serve as charms for conception and childbearing. Visitors performing the Minori Mairi can also acquire a single rice seed at the shrine. Tanekashi-sha is open to Hattatsu Mairi practitioners from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on “dragon days.” The minimum offering for the rite is 1,100 yen.