In Japanese mythology, the patron god of rice cultivation and prosperity.
He was worshiped especially by merchants and tradesmen, and he also served as patron deity of swordsmiths, brothels, and entertainers. Inari was variously depicted as a bearded old man riding a fox or as a woman with long hair, carrying sheaves of rice. The fox is sometimes identified as his messenger. The god's most popular shrine is the Fushimi Inari Shrine near Kyōto.
Inari, wood figurine, Tokugawa period (1603–1867); in the Musée Guimet, Paris
Courtesy of the Musee Guimet, Paris