Character Profile: Inari
Inari is a force of her own nature. She cares for humans and truly wants to help them, despite what other gods think and say.
Of all of the gods featured in my stories, Inari has to be my favourite. She’s playful, she’s fun, and yet you don’t want to be on her bad side. She also has many kitsune as messengers and spies. And she also seems to have a plan brewing, that will come to light some day. So let’s find out more about her.
Name: Inari
Name with honorifics: Oo-Inari (大稲荷) / Inari Ookami (稲荷大神)
Kanji and kana: 稲荷 - いなり [e-nah-ree]
Deity of: Foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture. She is also patron of blacksmiths and protector of warriors.
Inspirations: Inari was chosen because she is a big god, and at first I only brought her in for a small scene, but I knew I had to write more with her. There was nobody in particular who inspired me while creating her, I created her thinking about her role as a fox goddess and also sake and how she might be a laid back goddess compared to some. I really wanted to keep her marriage with Ukemochi especially as the two are quite different.
First seen in: The Cry of the Raijuu where we see her loving side.
What I like about her: She is a force of her own nature. Inari cares for humans and truly wants to help them, thinking she knows what is best, but of course that’s from the perspective of a goddess. I like how she also gets drunk with people too.
What is fun or hard about writing her: Inari is fun to write and I find her quite easy. She gets trickier to write when she’s being fox-like and a trickster, as I don’t know what she’s planning!
Typical place to find her: In her sanctuary, drinking sake and enjoying company.
MBTI: ESFP-A, The Entertainer
Entertainers know that it’s not all about them – they are observant, and very sensitive to others’ emotions. People with this personality type are often the first to help someone talk out a challenging problem, happily providing emotional support and practical advice. Entertainers usually love a little drama and passion, but not so much when they are the focus of the criticisms it can bring.
If you’d like to know more, ask away and I’ll try my best to answer!