Japanese Kitsune are shapeshifters. The older
a kitsune gets, the more its abilities increase. It is said that when a
Japanese fox turns 100 years old, it can turn into a human. Kitsune can be
either male or female. Usually, a mythical Japanese fox takes the form of
young Japanese girls, beautiful women, and older men. In fact, there are
many tales of Japanese kitsune transforming into beautiful women to trap
powerful men. One of the Japanese fox’s most well-known kitsune abilities
is kitsune-bi (狐火) or fox-fire. This is a red flame produced by a
kitsune by either breathing or wagging its tail. A mythical Japanese fox
uses this light to lure humans.
There are two common classifications of kitsune:
The zenko (善狐, literally 'good foxes') are
benevolent, celestial foxes associated with Inari; they are sometimes
simply called Inari foxes in English.
The yako
(野狐, literally 'field foxes', also called nogitsune) tend to be
mischievous or even malicious. Both zenko and yako, seem to have a
romantic streak as well. The significance of the kitsune makes it one of
the most intriguing creatures in Japanese folklore. There’s no doubt that
foxes are clever, beautiful animals that will continue to interest us for
many years to come.
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