Walk up the path at Fushimi Inari and you pass hundreds of stone foxes. Some hold a key in their mouth, some a jewel, and all of them watch the visitors with the same calm stare. That animal is the kitsune (狐), and it is one of the most loved figures of Japanese folklore.

A kitsune is a fox, or a fox spirit, from Japanese folklore. The word simply means "fox" in English. In the stories, kitsune are clever, mischievous and gifted with magical powers: shape-shifting, illusion, possession and control of fire.

In traditional Japanese myth, the kitsune fox is a trickster who enjoys playing pranks on humans. It can also be benevolent, bringing good luck and protection to those it favours. Some tales describe fox spirits possessing humans, or taking a seductive form to lead men into danger.

The kitsune is also tied to Inari, the Shinto deity of rice, agriculture and prosperity. Foxes are seen as Inari's messengers. In art they often carry a key in their mouth: the key to the granary.

In modern pop culture, kitsune appear in anime, manga and video games. They are usually drawn as powerful, intelligent beings with several tails, each tail standing for the centuries lived and the power gathered.

You will discover in this blog the portrait and legends of this bewitching creature:

• Kitsune Origin
• Kitsune Magical powers
• Different Kitsune types
• Kitsune Popular legend
• Kitsune symbolism in Japanese culture

KITSUNE ORIGIN

The kitsune did not appear overnight. Its portrait was built over centuries, between imported tales and local beliefs.

Kitsune legend

According to some researchers, this Yokai demon was born from very old legends of Chinese, Korean or Indian origin before entering Japanese folklore. The nine-tailed fox spirit was called Huli Jing in China and Kumiho in Korea. The creature is also close to the Indian Rakshasa, another shapeshifter with a mischievous character. Other voices argue that the kitsune is an indigenous concept.

Kitsune origin

The fox appears as early as the 11th century in the Konjaku Monogatari, a Japanese collection of Asian folk tales. It is said that foxes and men lived together in harmony in ancient Japan. This is why, unlike its Chinese and Korean counterparts, the kitsune was often seen as benevolent in Japan from an early date.

While the true origin of the kitsune stays unclear, it runs through Shinto, Taoist and Buddhist stories alike. In all of them, the fox keeps two constants: real magical powers and very sharp intelligence.

KITSUNE MAGICAL POWERS

The powers of a kitsune are not fixed. They grow with age, and the body of the animal shows that growth.

Kitsune tails

The kitsune yokai looks like a common fox, except for its tails. To know how old a kitsune is, count them. Every hundred years, this Japanese mythical creature grows a new one. Nine tails is the maximum, the sign of long experience and wisdom. The most revered foxes wear a white coat.

This tail count is also why so many masks and prints show a fox surrounded by a fan of white tails. The number is never decorative in Japanese art: it tells you the rank of the spirit you are looking at.

Kitsune metamorphosis

As the years pass, the magic grows with the tails. At one hundred years old, the fox gains the power of metamorphosis and can take a human form, usually that of a young woman. This is why the yokai fox is so often associated with a female figure.

That double nature, animal and human, is exactly what the traditional kitsune mask captures: a fox muzzle, painted red and white, worn on a human face.

Kitsune curse

Extremely intelligent and mischievous, the fox woman bewitches men and plays tricks on them. The fox spirit can turn hostile depending on the situation. She is sensitive and slow to forget an offence, so the tales advise you not to insult her. On the other hand, she is loyal and sincere. In general, she is a righteous soul who brings good things if you respect her.

Kitsune powers

At a mature age, the kitsune becomes very powerful and can take any appearance. It can read thoughts, enter spirits and slip into dreams. This Japanese fantasy creature can then manipulate humans and influence their destinies. The most powerful foxes are said to predict the future and bend space and time. The celestial fox is also the master of illusion, and legend says it makes fire by rubbing its tails together, the famous kitsunebi.

KITSUNE TYPES

There are several kinds of kitsune, linked to the 13 elements of Japanese mythology: sky, fire, earth, emptiness and so on. Each fox is connected to a particular element that shapes its temperament. In some legends, the kitsune wear a necklace of 12 beads to symbolise these elements. The 13th is the creature itself.

Kitsune Myobu

Among the best-known types of kitsune, we can mention the myobu and the nogitsune. The myobu are benevolent foxes linked to the celestial element and to the Inari deity. Meeting one is a good omen.

Kitsune Nogitsune

Associated with the element of emptiness, the nogitsune is particularly mischievous, though not always malicious. Still, do not attract its anger.

Bakemono Kitsune

The bakemono kitsune belong to the world of Japanese ghosts.

After their death, the magic foxes may choose to sacrifice one of their tails to come back to Earth, or to become a spirit. It is a little like our cat with nine lives.

These night-side foxes are the ones cosplayers like to portray, and a glowing mask carries that idea well after dark.

POPULAR LEGENDS AROUND THE KITSUNE

Some old beliefs say that women who go out alone at dusk are foxes.

Several Japanese myths report that these women sometimes struggle to hide their true nature. They fear their enemies: dogs, and men of faith able to unmask them. A mirror, or too much alcohol, is also said to reveal their identity.

In the Japanese imagination, rain falling on a sunny day means a marriage between a kitsune and a human has taken place. It is usually a good omen. Children born from such a union have a human appearance and inherit some of their mother's powers. One of the most popular legends is that of Kuzunoha.

The Legend of Kuzunoha

In the Shinoda forest, a white-coated fox was trapped by a hunter looking for a medicinal remedy. Passing by, the young Abe no Yasuna felt pity and decided to help the animal. He fought the hunter and rescued the exhausted creature.

Thankful to her saviour, the Japanese fox took human form and visited him to heal his wounds. As they spent time together, the two fell madly in love. Charmed by the beautiful Kuzunoha, Abe no Yasuna asked her to marry him. Later, they had a son named Seimei. Having inherited part of his mother's powers, the child showed remarkable intelligence.

One day, while his mother was contemplating the chrysanthemums in the garden, young Seimei discovered the tip of a fox's tail. Unmasked, Kuzunoha had to leave her family. Before going, she met her beloved in the forest where they had first met.

When Abe no Yasuna and his son went into the woods, they saw a majestic fox. It was Kuzunoha, appearing in her animal form to reveal that she was the kami of the Shinoda forest. Before returning to the wild, she offered her son the power to understand and speak with animals.

The Legend of Tamamo no Mae

Another Japanese legend tells of a beautiful and brilliant young woman who bewitched Emperor Toba no In and his son. Tamamo no Mae had a surprising culture despite her youth. Her sharp mind, her poise and her beauty dazzled the Court, so much that she was nicknamed the Luminous Jewel Lady.

One day, the emperor and his son both fell seriously ill without explanation. Priests were summoned and remedies tried, all without success. An astrologer was finally called to find the source of the sickness.

Abe no Yasuchika, who also had a gift for exorcism, discovered the true identity of Tamamo no Mae. The young woman was a particularly evil nine-tailed fox.

A hunt was organised to execute the creature, which had fled. After being killed by an arrow, the fox turned into a cursed stone able to kill anyone who touched it.

In another version, Tamamo no Mae was a benevolent spirit who drove away the forces of evil. A chime always announced her arrival by ringing 13 times, one for each element of mythology.

KITSUNE SYMBOLISM IN JAPANESE CULTURE

Kitsune fox

The kitsune are guardians and messengers of Inari. Their statues populate the shrines of the Shinto deity, often in pairs at the entrance. They are also seen as protective kami, especially against evil spirits.

This is why the fox face is not read as frightening in Japan. It carries protection, harvest and prosperity as much as trickery.

Kitsune anime

Japanese artists and kabuki theatre regularly refer to the nine-tailed fox in their works. If the kitsune is so famous today, it is partly thanks to manga, anime and video games, which drew heavily on the myth in its human and animal forms.

In Naruto, Kyubi is a fox spirit sealed inside the hero. The Pokemon series gave us Vulpix and Ninetales, two designs derived from the kitsune. The fox woman also appears in video games such as League of Legends, to the delight of players.

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