Kitsune

Kitsune means fox in Japanese, but folklore uses foxes in many supernatural roles. They may transform into people, create illusions, possess individuals, reward kindness, or deceive the arrogant. Some traditions distinguish wild foxes from foxes associated with Inari worship, though lived practice and storytelling are more complex than a simple good-versus-evil division.

Fox beliefs developed through interaction among Japanese religious practice, oral tale, literature, and motifs shared across East Asia. Age, wisdom, and multiple tails are linked in later classifications, but the popular nine-tailed image does not define every kitsune account.

Anime, games, and fantasy frequently present kitsune as a uniform species of beautiful nine-tailed shapeshifters. Traditional material is far more varied and includes ordinary foxes, possession narratives, marriages, gratitude tales, and religious associations.

• Michael Dylan Foster, The Book of Yōkai, University of California Press, 2015, fox chapters.
• Karen A. Smyers, The Fox and the Jewel, University of Hawai‘i Press, 1999.