Tamago-zuka, the monument for... Eggs

Located close to the Tsukiji Fish Market, Namiyoke Inari Shrine is the unofficial guardian shrine for the marketplace and its traders. Inside the shrine courtyard, a huge stone egg drew my attention. It is called Tamago-zuka, the monument of the egg, and it is part of a series of very unusual and unique monuments, the kind of odd but beautiful ideas that made me love Japan so much (see also Mushizuka).

There are here monuments erected by various associations, to honor, comfort and praise the souls of the beings sacrificed in the kitchen. There is a Sushi-zuka (for fish used to prepare sushi), Ebi-zuka (for shrimp), Hamaguri-zuka (for clam), Katsugyo-zuka (for fresh fish) and Ankou-zuka (angler/goose fish). Tamago-zuka is dedicated to the souls of the eggs used in the kitchen, and it was erected in 1993: