Though thousands of existing Goddess shrines  simply became Inari shrines, many new ones sprung up and are still being established today in a very unique manner. Most shrines to various kami are founded when the kami is seen, something supernatural occurs or at a place that is mythically/psychically important. Inari shrines are just about the only ones that are also founded by dreams.  Devotees (gyojya) who are travelling or whatever, often have prophetic dreams or waking visions where the Goddess comes to them and tells them to build a shrine at that place. Most often these places are at natural springs (sic!) and what starts out as a small little nich often, centuries later, can be seen as a huge sprawling center of Goddess worship.

     Though Inari was not given a pictorial form (for the most part) when Buddhism arrived in Japan something strange happened. Ardent Buddhist saints, like Prince Kamjangiin, began to have revelations involving the Goddess Inari! The Goddess was “recognized” as Dakiniten (Tibetophiles will recognize Dakini) the feminine guardian of Buddhist wisdom and initiation. These centers of Dakiniten-Inari worship spread as well (Toyokawa Inari in Tokyo being one of the largest) and at these temple-shrines, she has a pictorial form. She is a beautiful Goddess with long flowing hair who carries sheafs of rice and who rides upon a large white fox.
 

Edo Fest - Kami  "who opens the way" walking in parade.

Though a book could be written on Inari, we will leave the discussion of her wondrous mysteries after looking at a few symbols. Her torii are always orange-red, the color of life, power and feminine-energy in Japan. The foxes that flank her shrines, male on the left, female on the right, each hold a symbol. The male often holds a key or a rod, the female a ball or an object that looks like a tear-drop with flames. The obvious roots are phallic/vaginal (and Inari sects are said to involve many physical mysteries) but two more esoteric explanations are often given as well.     The rod or key (hoju-no-tama) opens the storehouse where the rice is kept, it signifies the opening of the way to prosperity. The ball or “flaming tear” (hoshi-no-tama) signifies star (hoshi) ball/circle (tama). The esoteric meaning of this symbol is “soul” or “life-energy.” It has also been identified as an ancient Chinese symbol for CHI. Ikebukero local shrine "Festival of Lights" commemorating Nicheren.