Arikoyama Inari Shrine, Shinto shrine in Toyooka, Hyogo pref., Japan

Arikoyama Inari Shrine is a small shrine at the foot of Mount Arikoyama near the ruins of Izushi Castle. The path up is lined with many red torii gates forming a tunnel, and the climb takes about 5 to 10 minutes on paved stone stairs.

The shrine has stood in the Inari enclosure on the top level of Izushi Castle, one step above the honmaru, since the castle was built in 1604. It served as the castle's tutelary shrine, and from the Edo period anyone, regardless of rank, was allowed to worship there. The stone stairway from the foot of the castle passes through 37 torii gates and 157 steps.

The shrine is dedicated to Inari, a deity linked with rice and good harvests. Visitors leave small written wishes on wooden plaques hung throughout the space, showing how people use this place to express their hopes in everyday practice.

The approach starts at the foot of the castle hill, where a stone stairway of 157 steps passes beneath 37 torii gates; the Inari enclosure is on the right at the top, with the shrine building behind it. From there the path continues up to the ruins of Arikoyama Castle. The shrine is a 5-minute walk from the Izushi bus stop, about 30 minutes by bus from Toyooka Station.

The shrine stands on a terrace one level above the honmaru, the highest tier of Izushi Castle, and has occupied that spot since the castle was built in 1604. From the Edo period onward, worship there was permitted regardless of social rank, so commoners could climb to a site inside the castle walls.