The Sacred Dog of the Mountains

A photo book by photographer Ikuko Tsurumaki, documenting the wolf worship passed down on Mt. Mitake in Ome, Tokyo. Published by Musashi Mitake Shrine in March 2023, coinciding with a photo exhibition of the same name held at Jam Photo Gallery.

At Musashi Mitake Shrine, located near the summit of Mt. Mitake, a deified Japanese wolf is called "Oinusama" and has been worshipped for centuries as a guardian of the mountains and people. Although the name is "Oinusama," the "inu" here refers to a wolf, not a dog.

This belief originates from the story of Yamato Takeru, who appears in ancient Japanese legends, being guided by a white wolf when he got lost on Mt. Mitake. The white wolf was later revered as the guardian deity of the mountain, attracting worship from people who wished for protection from evil, theft, and abundant harvests.

From the mid-Edo period onward, this belief spread throughout the Kanto region through the activities of "oshi" (shrine priests) who guided pilgrims to the shrine and provided lodging. Even today, oshi residences and shukubo (temple lodging) remain on Mt. Mitake, and various forms of Oinusama are enshrined in the household altars and shrines within these homes.

This book features 50 Oinusama statues passed down in shukubo and oshi residences on and around the mountain. Each statue, whether showing sharp fangs, quietly lying down, or having a surface worn by time, is captured head-on, revealing its unique form and demeanor.

This record captures statues that are both objects of faith and have been protected and passed down within people's daily lives. It is a book that examines the legends surrounding wolves, mountain worship, the history of oshi communities, and the forms of prayer that still remain there.

[Title] Oyama no Oinusama
[Publisher] Musashi Mitake Shrine
[Publication Date] March 14, 2023
[Pages] 192 pages
[Size] Approx. 186 x 125mm
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] OYAMA NO OINUSAMA
[Author/Editor, etc.] Ikuko Tsurumaki/Photography, Koji Miyazoe/Book Design
[Printing] Fujiwara Printing Co., Ltd.
[ISBN] -
[Condition] Used [9] Excellent
[Accessories] -
[Featured in] -
[Related Exhibition] Ikuko Tsurumaki Photo Exhibition "Oyama no Oinusama"/Jam Photo Gallery/2023

Ikuko Tsurumaki (1972-)

Born in Tokyo. Photographer, director of Jam Photo Gallery.

After working at an advertising agency, she studied photography and, after working at a bridal photography studio and as an assistant to a photographer, she became independent. She is active in a wide range of fields, including advertising photography, writing for camera magazines, and teaching photography.

While publishing street snaps from Japan and abroad, she also works on projects that explore "seeing" through interviews with people with visual impairments. In 2019, she opened Jam Photo Gallery in Meguro, Tokyo. She is involved in planning exhibitions for photographers, showcasing young artists, and promoting photographic culture.

Her major solo exhibitions include "Tokyo Wolf Mountain," "The Bus," "PERFECT DAY," "Dream," "Dolphin in the Grass," "Oyama no Oinusama," "Antithesis of Happiness," and "ALT." In 2025, she received the 33rd Tadahiko Hayashi Award for "ALT."

< Related Figures >

Musashi Mitake Shrine, Jam Photo Gallery, Koji Miyazoe