Nankun-sha 楠珺社

Official explanation

Nankun-sha is the second stop in the Hattatsu Mairi ritual. The towering 1,000-year-old camphor tree next to the building is believed to be a manifestation of the shrine’s patron deity, the god of agriculture Uka no Mitama no Mikoto, one of the many representations of the deity Inari. The shrine is thought to protect business partnerships and marriages—the pair of entwined camphor trees nearby forms a “couple.” Visitors pray for prosperity as well as for the safety and stability of their families.

If you make a donation at Nankun-sha, you will receive a clay figurine of a beckoning cat called shōfuku neko. These prosperity-bringing charms come in two types: with either left or right paw raised. Visitors who collect 48 shōfuku neko of a single type can exchange them for one larger cat. One each of the larger left-pawed and right-pawed cats, along with 48 of the smaller figurines, can in turn be traded for a cat of the largest variety. Obtaining a pair of left- and right-pawed shōfuku neko in the largest size is no small feat: it requires performing the Hattatsu Mairi every month for 24 years.

Read the full explanation

Nankun-sha is the second stop in the Hattatsu Mairi.

Hattatsu Mairi hours: 6:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Prayer donation: 1,500 yen

Nankun-sha is devoted to Uka no Mitama no Mikoto, a deity of grain and agriculture and a manifestation of the god Inari. As the second stop of the Hattatsu Mairi, Nankun-sha is associated with the dedication and hard work required to run a business. Visitors performing the more complex Minori Mairi rite can exchange the sacred rice seed for a stalk of rice here; the rice stalk can be exchanged again at the next shrine, Ōtoshi-sha.

Clay figurines of beckoning cats called shōfuku neko are available at Nankun-sha for visitors performing the Hattatsu Mairi. The prosperity-bringing charms come in two types. Cats with the left paw raised are said to attract customers to businesses that display them and are offered during odd-numbered months of the year. Cats with the right paw raised are said to bring financial wealth; they are available in even-numbered months.

Shrine Two: Nankun-sha

Nankun-sha is the second stop in the Hattatsu Mairi. The towering 1,000-year-old camphor tree next to the shrine is believed to be a manifestation of the enshrined Uka no Mitama no Mikoto, who is identified with the rice god Inari. Two other camphor trees nearby form a spiritual “couple” and are believed to be protectors of families and business partnerships. Visitors to the shrine pray for prosperity as well as for the safety and stability of their families.

Nankun-sha offers lucky cat figurines called shōfuku neko. The clay figurines come in two types: one with the left paw raised and one with the right paw raised. Cats with the left paw raised are said to attract customers to businesses that display them, while those with a right paw raised are believed to bring financial wealth. The two types are available during alternating months of the year—odd-numbered months for the left-pawed figures, even-numbered months for the right-pawed ones.

Visitors who collect 48 shōfuku neko of a single type can exchange them for one larger cat. A pair of the larger left-pawed and right-pawed figurines, along with 48 more of the smaller figurines, can be traded for an even bigger cat. Obtaining a pair of left-pawed and right-pawed shōfuku neko in the largest size is no small feat: it requires performing the Hattatsu Mairi every month for 24 years.

Nankun-sha is open to Hattatsu Mairi practitioners from 6:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The minimum offering for the rite is 1,500 yen. Minori Mairi practitioners can exchange the rice seed obtained at Tanekashi-sha for a stalk of rice here.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.