Kitsune

Kitsune are foxes in Japanese folklore, famed for intelligence, supernatural powers, and the ability to take human form. They appear as both helpful guardians and dangerous tricksters.

Yōkai: A broad class of supernatural beings and phenomena in Japanese folklore. Kitsune are among the best-known beings classified as yōkai.
Kitsunetsuki: A condition in Japanese belief in which a fox spirit possesses a person. Possession is a distinct way kitsune influence humans beyond disguise or trickery.
Tamamo-no-Mae: A legendary beautiful woman in Japanese tradition revealed as a powerful fox spirit. Her tale presents the kitsune as a dangerous infiltrator at the imperial court.
Inari shrine: A Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, often marked by fox imagery and paired fox statues. Shrine iconography makes the fox’s sacred association visible in everyday religious spaces.
Kami: Spirits or sacred powers in Japanese religious traditions, associated with natural features, ancestors, and places. Some kitsune serve as messengers or attendants of kami.
Kitsunebi: Mysterious lights attributed to foxes in Japanese folklore. These phantom flames signal kitsune presence and accompany their supernatural exploits.
Kuzunoha: A legendary fox woman in Japanese drama and folklore, traditionally the mother of the diviner Abe no Seimei. Her story gives the shapeshifter a tender family role and tragic departure.
Japanese fox folklore: The body of Japanese beliefs, stories, and customs concerning foxes and fox spirits. Kitsune belongs to a wider tradition that includes local beliefs and varied stories.
Shapeshifting: The ability of a being to change its physical form. Taking human form is one of the defining powers attributed to kitsune.
Kitsune-tsuki: A Japanese belief in fox possession, sometimes discussed as a form of spirit possession. This alternate term names the possession tradition associated with fox spirits.

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