Japan: 'A Man Confronted with an Apparition of the Fox Goddess', woodblock print by Utagawa...

Inari Okami, also known as Oinari, is a deity in Shintoism, the "kami" of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry and general prosperity. In earlier times, Inari was also the patron of merchants and swordsmiths, and has been represented in various art forms as male, female or androgynous. Inari is almost always accompanied by white foxes ("kistune"), who act as his/her/their messengers. Inari's male and female aspects have often been conflated or identified with other Shinto and Buddhist deities, and Inari him/her/themself has sometimes been seen as a collective rather than an individual "kami". Worship of Inari dates back to at least 711 CE, with a shrine on Inari Mountain, although some scholars date worship back to the late 5th century. The "kami" became more popular during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868). Today more than one-third of Shinto shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari.