Oji Shrine, located 5 minutes' walk from Oji Station, is one of the most important shrines of Tokyo, and is known for its New Year's parade based on an old legend.
According to this folk tale, a group of foxes from the Kanto region gathered under a large tree, dressed as humans and tried to gain access to Oji Inari-Jinja, the Shinto shrine dedicated to the deity of foxes. The well-known tale has been painted by famous ukiyo-e master Utagawa Hiroshige, which helped originally inspired this fox parade that has taken place every New Year's Eve since 1993.
Participants parade the streets around Oji Inari-Jinja, wearing fox masks and holding lanterns.
