Nishide Chinjyu Inari Shrine

Nishide Chinju Inari Shrine is a shrine in Hyogo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, enshrining Uka no Mitama-no-Mikoto. Locals affectionately call it “Chijimi-san.” Access is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kobe Line Kobe Station. The shrine is believed to bring blessings for business prosperity, traffic safety, and protection from fire. The exact date of its founding is unknown, but because a stone lantern donated by the late-Edo-period shipping wholesaler and maritime merchant Kahei Takataya—praying for maritime traffic safety—stands within the precincts, the shrine is thought to have existed at least as early as the Kansei era (from 1789). The grounds also contain a gorinto (five-ring pagoda) memorial for Taira no Tsunetoshi, the elder brother of Taira no Atsumori, who was killed in battle here at the age of 18 during the Genpei War in 1184 (Juei 3). It is said that praying at this gorinto brings the benefit of calming a child’s night crying. A Billiken figure is also enshrined in the main hall and can be viewed through glass. Another shrine in Hyogo Ward known for enshrining a Billiken is Matsuo Inari Shrine.