Are you curious to learn about the noble and mischievous kitsune? If you are then you have come to the right place.
In this article we are going to talk about this immortal fox spirit in more detail so that you can better understand what they are. There is certainly a lot to know about these majestic spirits.
Are you excited? Well, let’s dive right in and get started!
The Kitsune
A kitsune is a creature from Japanese folklore. They tend to have a maximum of nine tails and are known as shapeshifters. These magical and immortal beings can be both good or evil depending on what type of kitsune they are.
What Are The Abilities Of The Kitsune?
One of the key abilities of a kitsune is their ability to shapeshift. As a kitsune gets older they will gain more abilities.
Legends say that when one of these Japanese fox sprites turns one hundred years of age they will finally be able to take on a human form.
These spirits are neither female nor male. Despite that, they typically choose to take the form of a young Japanese woman or an older male.
These kitsune are often thought to take the form of beautiful women so that they can ensnare powerful men.
Another ability of the kitsune is known as kitsune-bi or in English, Fox-fire. The ancient flame of the kitsune is usually red and can be conjured when the kitsune wags their tail or breaths.
Many stories are told of these Japanese fox spirits using fox-fire to get humans to follow them. Whether for good or evil is up to what kind of kitsune they are.
Kitsune are often called the nine-tailed fox. This is because they are thought to have up to nine tails. Once a kitsune earns their ninth tail their fur will turn white or even gold as a symbol of their status.
These tails are key to the kitsune’s existence. In fact, they say if you want to kill a kitsune all you need to do is cut off every single one of their tails.
What Types Of Kitsune Are There?
Did you know that there is more than one type of kitsune? Well there are and in this section we are going to take a closer look at these types of kitsune. So, without further ado, let us drive right in and get started!
Zenko Or Good Japanese Fox Spirits
The first category of Japanese kitsune is known as Zenko. They are known as quite benevolent celestial sprites. These zenko have close ties to the god known as Inari. These kitsune are often referred to as simply Inari foxes.
Regardless of how many tails or how old they are, these foxes are always portrayed as having white coats. Japanese folklore states that these spirits love fried and sliced tofu which is known as aburage.
These good kitsune or zenko have the ability to scare away any evil spirits or bad luck and are often sent to serve as a guardian spirit.
The nogitsune is actually a type of yokai or Japanese demon (see also ‘Can A Human Become A Yokai? – What You Need To Know‘). In many of Japan’s folklore these kitsune are tricksters and like to particularly target humans.
In fact, there are many tales which talk about these kitsune targeting the negative traits of humans. For example pride, vanity or greed and then exploiting these traits to bring people down.
It is said that a kitsune can bring even the most dedicated priest to their knees.
These spirits do not target women with their tricks very often because they do like to possess them. This means that they can lure powerful men to their death and doom much easier than they normally would.
Stories Of The Kitsune
Just because a kitsune is not divine like the zenko does not mean that they are a trickster. There are a lot of tales that speak of a kitsune falling in love with a human and choosing to live within the human world.
The majority of these stories follow a pattern. A man falls in love with a beautiful kitsune woman and was are not aware of what she is. He then marries her and only later on he finds out that she is a kitsune.
Despite being a good wife she must then flee from the village to escape the terrified villagers.
Despite the negativity surrounding kitsune it is said that when rain falls on a clear day there is a kitsune wedding. This is thought to be a good omen.
Can You Rid Yourself Of A Kitsune?
Are you worried that you might have a kitsune spirit near you? Or maybe you know someone that is possessed by one of these fox spirits? Well, if you did believe such things.
There are actually some ways to get rid of the kitsune, according to Japanese folklore at least.
Step 1 – The first thing you are going to need to do is make sure that your friend is actually possessed. You can do this by taking a close look at their face. Are their eyes their usual colored like a fox’s? Do they have fox whiskers? Are their features more fox-like than usual? If any of these are true then they may in fact be possessed by a kitsune.
Step 2 – Next, check the kitsune for a tail. It may be hidden under their garments. But if you find a tail the kitsune is thought then to become embarrassed and will leave the host.
Step 3 – If that does not work you could try to get them close to your pet dog or another dog that you know. Kitsune are thought to hate dogs and when they see a dog they will leave your friend’s body and run very quickly.
Step 4 – If these tricks do not work then all you can do is take your possessed friend to an Inari shrine where they will be taken care of and then hopefully the kitsune will then leave.
How Can You Find A Kitsune?
What if you want to attract a kitsune? Some people want a devoted kitsune wife. But how can you attract one? It is thought that if you leave fried tofu outside your door and a kitsune will come to you.
You could also go to an Inari shrine and see if a kitsune comes to you. If that does not work then you will need to take a trip to Zao Fox Village in what is called the Miyagi Prefecture.
Here you are almost guaranteed to see some Japanese foxes.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about these amazing Japanese fox spirits. There is plenty more to learn about them that we were not able to cover.
So make sure to read more about them. They are truly a fascinating part of Japanese culture and well worth the time to learn about.
With all of that being said, we hope that you have a wonderful day. Goodbye for now and happy kitsune hunting!
