Myōbu

In Japan, myōbu (命婦) is a title which was given to ladies of the fifth rank in the imperial court or to midrank noblewomen. In The Pillow Book, Lady Myōbu was also the name of a pet cat belonging to Empress Consort Sadako, whom the author Sei Shōnagon served.

The term myōbu is also used to describe the fox messengers of Inari Ōkami and the subshrines in which they are worshipped. Japanese folklore contains several stories that suggest explanations for the connection, mainly involving Fushimi Inari-taisha on Mount Inari near Kyoto. On this mountain are a vast number of shrines, most of which are devoted to Inari, but some are also devoted to other deities, including a fox deity named Myōbu. Fushimi Inari-taisha itself contains a number smaller shrines dedicated to foxes, including the Byakko-sha ("white fox shrine") and the Myōbu-sha ("court lady shrine"). The fox messengers of Inari Ōkami are also called byakko (白狐).

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