Route stop 12
What is Mitsurugi-sha?
An old worship site on the summit loop, about 10 minutes past the summit, linked to the legend of a swordsmith who forged a famous blade with the help of the Inari deity.
Mitsurugi-sha at a glance
Mitsurugi-sha · 御劔社
| Crowd now | Compared with its usual week, shown once the page loads (Japan time) |
|---|---|
| Walk from the main hall | About 10 min past the summitInari Hanei-kai. |
| Along the path | 2.2 km from the Romon Gate2.4 km from JR Inari Station |
| Toilets | None mapped within 60 m |
| Vending machines | None mapped within 60 m |
| Tea houses | 三劔家 |
Toilets, vending machines and tea houses within 60 m along the paths, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. Something not mapped may still be there.
What you'll find here
Also known as the Chōja-sha shrine site. Old maps of the mountain mark a rock here as the sword-stone, or thunder-stone. Like the three peaks, it seems to have been a place of worship since early times.
A Noh play tells how the swordsmith Sanjō Kokaji Munechika, ordered by the emperor to make a sword, forged the blade Kogitsunemaru on this mountain with the help of the Inari deity. This place is linked with that scene.
How crowded does it get?
Our hourly data for this stop is thin, so we don't give busy hours for it. The "Crowd now" line above only says whether it is busier or quieter than its own usual week right now.
For the shrine as a whole: Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.
See today's quiet hoursGo on or turn back?
Yakuriki-sha is about 5 minutes further on (Inari Hanei-kai). The loop then continues past Gozendani Hohaisho and Ganriki-sha back to Yotsutsuji, about 550 m from here along the path.
Questions about Mitsurugi-sha
- What is the legend of Mitsurugi-sha?
- A Noh play tells how the swordsmith Sanjō Kokaji Munechika forged the sword Kogitsunemaru on Mt Inari with the help of the Inari deity; this site is linked with that story.
- How far is Mitsurugi-sha from the summit?
- About 10 minutes on foot along the loop (Inari Hanei-kai).
Sources
- Fushimi Inari Taisha: Mitsurugi-sha (Japanese)
- Inari Hanei-kai: Mt Inari walking route (Japanese)
- OpenStreetMap contributors (paths, toilets, vending machines, tea houses)
Facts are checked against these sources and written in our own words. Not affiliated with the shrine.
Last updated: