Takekoma Inari Shrine
The is a Shintō shrine in the city of Iwanuma in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is considered one of the three main shrines dedicated to the "kami" Inari, and claims to be the second-oldest Inari shrine in Japan. It was also referred to as the Inari's traditional festival day is the first horse day (the sixth day) of the second month of the lunisolar calendar; in recent years, the shrine has celebrated the event on a Sunday in February or early March. This festival is estimated to draw a quarter-million attendees. The shrine is  also home to a horsemanship museum. Enshrined "kami". The primary "kami" of Takekoma Inari Shrine is , traditionally identified as with Inari, and associated with agriculture, especially rice production. Secondary "kami" include , the goddess of food, and , the god of the five cereals. There are also several smaller subsidiary shrines within the shrine grounds. History. The Takekoma Inari Shrine was established in 842 AD, reputedly by Ono no Takamura, the "kokushi" of Ōshū Province, as a branch of the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine south of Kyoto. The shrine is mentioned by the Heian period poet Nōin during the reign of Emperor  Go-Reizei (1045-1068) and during the Sengoku period was awarded an estate by local warlord Date Tanemune. It continued to be supported by the Date clan of Sendai Domain through the end of the Edo period. Following the start of State Shinto in the Meiji period, the shrine was ranked as a Prefectural Shrine under the Modern system of ranked Shinto Shrines. Notable structures. The "Honden" of the shrine was a structure built by the 5th "daimyō" of Sendai Domain, Date Yoshimura, but burned down in a fire on November 21, 1990. It was rebuilt in 1994. Currently, the  oldest structure in the shrine is the "Zuishinmon" two-story gate tower. It was built in 1812 and is a registered Important Cultural Property of Iwanuma City.