Kumamoto Castle Inari Shrine, Shinto shrine in Kumamoto, Japan

Kumamoto Castle Inari Shrine is a shrine on the grounds of Kumamoto Castle in Chuo-ku dedicated to Inari deities and distinguished by rows of red torii gates. The compound features small wooden buildings, quiet stone pathways, and houses a mix of Buddhist and Shinto sacred objects at its altar.

The shrine was built in 1588 to protect Kumamoto Castle from harm and bring it good fortune. Its origin connects to Kato Kiyomasa, a significant figure in Kumamoto's history, and it has since become a place where the community expresses its need for protection and seeks blessing.

The shrine grounds are called Shirahige-san by locals, showing the close bond between the place and the community. Visitors can observe how four Buddhist Jizo deities and 14 Shinto deities are honored together here, reflecting Japan's long tradition of peacefully blending different spiritual practices.

The shrine stands about 150 metres north-west of the Kumamoto Castle/City Hall tram stop on the A and B lines, and is also a short walk from the Torichosuji stop. City buses stop at the City Hall-mae stop, right by the grounds. The main hall backs directly onto the stone walls of Kumamoto Castle's honmaru, and Kumamoto Daijingu is immediately to the north.

The shrine is nicknamed "Shirahige-san" after Shirahige Daimyōjin, its main deity, a protector of daily life. Behind the main hall rises the stone wall of Kumamoto Castle's honmaru, so the shrine and the castle's defences stand directly against each other.