Oman Inari Jinja (於満稲荷神社)

Oman Inari Jinja (於満稲荷神社)

Oman Inari Jinja (於満稲荷神社) is a small Inari shrine located near Tokyo Station in the Nihonbashi District of Chuo-ku, Tokyo.  Oman (於満) is said to refer to Yojuin (養珠院) (1580-1653), one of the concubines of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Edo shogunate.  Her two sons, Tokugawa Yorinobu (徳川頼宣) and Tokugawa Yorifusa (徳川頼房), respectively, became the founders of the notable Kishu and Mito branches of the Tokugawa clan.  Among her descendants are Tokugawa Yoshimune (徳川吉宗), the eighth shogun, and Tokugawa Mitsukuni (徳川光圀), commonly known as Mito Komon (水戸黄門).

Oman Inari Jinja (於満稲荷神社)

The name of the shrine appears in a record from the Kanbun era (1661-1673), following the area's recovery from the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, which not only devastated much of the area but also obliterated its records.

In the area, it is said there was once a resting place for the shogunate.  Yojuin, a devout Buddhist, visited the area with her group to purchase goods for donating to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, thereby significantly contributing to the local economy.  Because of her strong ties to the area, it is said the local merchants built this shrine in her honor.