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Takenaka-jinja (竹中稲荷神社) is a small but beautiful sub-shrine of Yoshida-jinja (吉田神社).
Standing on the western summit of Yoshida-yama (吉田山), the forlorn grounds betray the shrine's vibrant history.
The origin of the shrine is unclear, but it seems likely that it was established by Urabe Yoshihiro (卜部良芳).
Most of the shrine records have been lost, but in other works there is mention of a vast, snaking tunnel of shrine gates (鳥居) leading from mountain base to the worship hall.
During Takenaka's heyday, its forest of vermillion gates rivaled Fushimi Inari's (伏見稲荷大社)!
Locals would joke that in the pouring rain it was possible to stay dry on the climb up the mountain as the gates were so numerous and so densely packed together!
It may seem strange that such a relatively small shrine rivaled the famed Fushimi Inari for gates, but it should be remembered that gates as votive offerings only appeared in significant numbers at Fushimi after 1804 (at which time Takenaka-jinja was already in decline).
The Urabe clan, also pivotal in the creation of Yoshida-jinja, were 1 of 3 families in control of Shintō matters for the court.
Currently Takenaka Inari-jinja (竹中稲荷神社) enshrines Uga-no-Mitama (宇賀御魂神), Sarutahiko (猿田毘古大神), and his wife Ame-no-Uzume (天宇受売命).
Known originally as Kaguraoka Inari-jinja (神楽岡稲荷神社), it's recorded that as early as 824 various shrine structures existed on the mountain top.
Kagura-oka (神楽岡) was the early name for Yoshida-yama (吉田山).
