Iina-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Iina-jinja is a Shinto shrine on the lower southern slope of Mount Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, at about 80 metres above sea level. Its kami is a large split boulder called the Woman Stone, topped by a small Inari shrine and a standing stone, the Man Stone. A one-bay nagare-zukuri hall and a covering roof stand on the flat ground to the south.
The shrine's founding is unknown, but it is identified with the "Iina no kami" named in the 8th-century Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki. A document in the Nagato family papers records that in 1456 the deity Hoshoku-shin was invited to Iinano, and a shrine bell inscription of 1479 names Iinano-miya. In 1660 Benzaiten (Ichikishima-hime) was installed, and the shrine was renamed Iina-jinja at an unknown date; it became a religious corporation in 1952.
Locals affectionately call this shrine Benten-sama, after the goddess Benzaiten, associated with femininity and the arts. The large stone with a distinctive slit near the grounds has long represented this feminine force and continues to hold meaning for visitors who come seeking blessings related to fertility and life cycles.
A paved approach path leads from the Tsukuba bus stop "Iina-jinja Iriguchi" to the shrine, with a signboard at the entrance. The road is steep and too narrow for two cars to pass, and it continues past the shrine building; at a Y-junction, the east branch reaches the first torii of Mount Tsukuba Shrine, while the straight branch joins Route 139 via Gassuiseki Shrine. There is no parking lot, though turning around is possible in quiet periods.
Every February, an annual Daruma Market takes place here on a date tied to the old lunar calendar, attracting thousands of visitors who purchase small amulets containing coins to bring financial luck. The tradition of buying coin-filled amulets symbolizes the hope that wealth will grow and renew like a snake shedding its skin.
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