Tanuki: Mischief, Magic and Change in the Japanese Countryside The Enchanting Vixens of Japanese Folklore Looking At The Importance Of Kitsune In Japanese FolkloreĦ Things You Should Know About the Inari Fox in Japanese Folklore Kitsune: The Foxy Side of Japanese Mythology Once feared, they are now more likely to be seen in statue form outside restaurants as a sign of good fortune.īeware the Kitsune, The Shapeshifting Fox of Japanese Folklore They also play a significant part in Japanese folklore and have magical shape-shifting abilities. Tanuki are real animals and are often referred to in the west as racoon dogs.
If you visit Japan you will see that many shrines are dedicated to the deity Inari and will have representation of kitsune, usually in the form of stone statues. Often they grow additional tails, and the nine-tailed fox features prominently. Many tales of kitsune involve them reaching advanced age and developing the ability to transform into a supernatural spirit, or yokai. In Japanese folklore the role of kitsune is underpinned by a belief that the fox has an extraordinarily long life span and is incredibly intelligent. They manifest in a range of forms from evil shape-shifting yokai who trick helpless victims, to heavenly messengers and servants of the kami Inari.
1860.įoxes in Japan are known as kitsune and they play a significant role in folklore. ' Night Procession of the Hundred Demons (Hyakki Yagyo)' - Hiroharu Itaya, ca.
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