I’ve blogged before about Ootoyo Jinja (sometimes romanized “Otoyo Jinja”), one of my favorite Shinto shrines on Kyoto’s famous Philosopher’s Path. Today, we’re heading back to Ootoyo Jinja, to take a look at the history behind its famous guardian mice. The shrine that belongs to Okuninushi features not only a stone torii but a pair of guardian mice watching over the holy space. The one on the left has a sake bowl–a symbol of health and fertility. (Pregnant women worship here in hopes of ensuring a healthy baby.) Had you ever heard the story of Okuninushi and the field mouse? I first read it as a child, in a
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