Arctic Circle Circle is divided among 8 countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut), Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey). The climate inside the Arctic Circle is generally cold, but the coastal areas of Norway have a generally mild climate as a result of the Gulf Stream, which makes the ports of northern Norway and northwest Russia ice-free all year long. In the interior, summers can be quite warm, while winters are extremely cold. For example, summer temperatures in Norilsk, Russia will sometimes reach as high
Inari Ōkami Buddhism may have begun in the 8th century, when Shingon Buddhist monk and founder, Kūkai, took over administration of the temple of Tōji, and chose Inari as a protector of the temple. Thus, Inari is still closely associated with Shingon Buddhism to this day. Inari is often venerated as a collective of three deities ("Inari sanza"); since the Kamakura period, this number has sometimes increased to five "kami" ("Inari goza"). However, the identification of these "kami" has varied over time. According to records of Fushimi Inari, the oldest and perhaps most prominent Inari shrine, these "kami" have included Izanagi, Izanami,