Why Is This Fox More Popular Than Every Other Japanese … — Transcript

In Japan, a land that loves monsters, hundreds of Yo-kai vie to be the most celebrated. And there's one that makes all the lists: the kitsune. What is it about the shape-shifting fox that's more enduring than, say, a sake-loving raccoon dog or red-faced martial artist? How did this monster become the most referenced and versatile of all the Yo-kai? Why can't y'all stop commenting about kitsune? Let's figure it out.

raccoon dog or red-faced martial artist? How did this monster become the most referenced and versatile of all the Yo-kai? Why can't y'all stop commenting about kitsune? Let's figure it out.

Oral tales of the kitsune go back to at least 2,500 years ago, with written accounts of the creatures dating back to 1720, making them one of the oldest Yo-kai. Ancient stories of shape-shifting fox spirits appear in China and Korea as well. As cultures interacted through trade and travel, those ideas made their way to Japan, where they merged with existing beliefs.

interacted through trade and travel, those ideas made their way to Japan where they merged with existing beliefs.

This might be one of the first reasons for kitsune's popularity. They represent a larger East Asian tradition of the shape-shifting fox. Foxes were already in Japan as real animals. So when the idea of a supernatural fox arrived, it just made sense as a Yo-kai. Other prominent Yo-kai like the Kappa and Tengu are also mentioned in writings of the same time. But neither has the same kind of real-life animal counterpart.

just made sense as a yo-kai. Other prominent Yo-kai like the Kappa and Tangu are also mentioned in writings of the same time. But neither has the same kind of real life animal counterpart.

The perception of foxes in Japan changed in the 9th century largely in part because of the creation of the oldest known collection of Buddhist parables, the record of miraculous events in Japan, which contains tales of shape-shifting foxes and fox spirit possession. By the 11th century, foxes were worshipped as deities. So, while nuisances in real life, they were also revered in Japanese culture, where it is believed their intelligence rivals humans. According to the lore, kitsune can possess humans. A human exhibiting odd behavior can indicate such a possession. So too could a desire to eat strange things like rocks or hair, or running naked in public, or an irrational fear of dogs, or frothing at the mouth, which frankly sounds a lot like very real cases of various medical conditions, something like rabies that people could encounter in everyday life. Yet another thing supporting a belief in kitsune.

possession. By the 11th century, foxes were woripped as deities. So, while nuisances in real life, they were also revered in Japanese culture where it is believed their intelligence rivals humans. According to the lore, kitsune can possess humans. A human exhibiting

Modern medicine would likely attribute these possessions as episodes of mental illness. And unlike possession from other kinds of Yo-kai like the tanuki, there was a silver lining. When an individual was possessed by kitsune, their lineage was believed to receive great wealth and prosperity. But this wasn't always a positive connection. Beginning in the 17th century, many upper-class families were derogatorily referred to as fox owners. And it was said that they could use their connection to the kitsune to harm others, usually by amassing their fortune through trickery. As transportation and technological advancement grew, rural communities found themselves indebted to new landlords and business owners. The kitsune, with their ability to develop supernatural abilities, and the kitsune's connection with illusion made the Yo-kai an easy scapegoat to point to. Said to travel between worlds, some kitsune are divine messengers. Others offer friendly advice, but many are mischievous tricksters looking to teach humans a moral lesson. Some kitsune also have the ability to give humans magical abilities or supernatural blessings, something other popular Yo-kai do, but differently. Kitsune's gifts often come with strings attached and can be tricky, more relational, a fairly human quality.

real cases of various medical conditions something like rabies that people could encounter in everyday life. Yet another thing supporting a belief in kitsune.

Not like the Tengu that wants humans to earn supernatural martial arts abilities through discipline, or a Kappa who will begrudgingly grant knowledge to repay a debt. Kitsune's way feels somehow more interpretive, making it easier for humans to relate to in both positive and negative ways. Kitsune are brilliant shape-shifters, much like the popular Tanuki, who also happens to have an animal counterpart. But the Tanuki's transformation abilities are said to surpass that of the kitsune. They can even alter inanimate objects, turning leaves into money temporarily, for instance. But their chaotic nature means their transformations tend to be more silly than convincing. Tanuki are more playful and goofy, which makes them harder to take seriously. Kitsune, on the other hand, often use their shape-shifting ability for more insidious trickery, like posing as a weary traveler to gain access to a home and stealing all the homeowner's stuff overnight, or by posing as an innocent child before causing mayhem. Most legends have kitsune who adopt the form of a beautiful woman or young girl to seduce or bewitch, a much more serious matter. Kitsune who appear as beautiful women are especially feared since they will use their beauty to drain the life force of unsuspecting men. There are also stories of kitsune shape-shifting into fox brides beginning in the 9th century. The fox bride also allows for another possibility the other prominent Yo-kai lack: part human offspring.

great wealth and prosperity. But this wasn't always a positive connection. Beginning in the 17th century, many upper class families were derogatorily referred to as fox owners. And it was said that they could use their connection to the kitsune to harm

Uniquely, kitsune and human offspring are often believed to possess some of the magical abilities of their Yo-kai parent. The individuals were not relegated to the pages of fiction either. In the Heian period, a well-known court cosmologist, Abino Seimei, claimed his powers over the spirits were the product of a kitsune ancestry. His mother is a notorious kitsune, Kuzunoha, a divine messenger with nine tails, the most a kitsune can have. According to the story, a wounded white fox is saved from trappers by a human man, Yasuna. Falling in love with the man in his kindness, the fox shapeshifts into a beautiful woman and they marry. In her disguised form, Kuzunoha bears a child, Seimei. For years, they live happily until Seimei catches a glimpse of her tail. With her true kitsune identity revealed, she is forced to return to the wild. Abino Seimei's popular tale has been immortalized in Kabuki and puppet theater, spreading the lore of the kitsune.

the yo-kai an easy scapegoat to point to. Said to travel between worlds, some kitsune are divine messengers. Others offer friendly advice, but many are mischievous tricksters looking to teach humans a moral lesson. Some kitsune also have the ability to give humans magical

Shape-shifting abilities in kitsune grow stronger as they age, and eventually they can appear human. Older kitsune can also produce elaborate illusions, something that makes their trickster nature even more dangerous. Kitsune have a hierarchy largely based on their demeanor and supernatural capabilities, each with their own name. They can be red, gold, white, or black. This class and order reflects a change in Japan that was becoming wealthier and more divided by that wealth. Kitsune represent malleability, so they often pop up during social and cultural shifts in Japan. Being the moral shape-shifters that they are, kitsune don't follow human moral standards since they exist outside them. But how they interact with humans and the human response to their actions often indicate the social norms of the time. This continues in the modern period. Quick story. There was even an attempt to weaponize their importance during World War II when American intelligence operatives tried to exploit belief in the kitsune with Operation Fantasia. Believing incorrectly that the Yo-kai were symbols of doom, they came up with a plan to capture red foxes from other countries, spray paint them to glow in the dark, and set them free in Japan. I truly wish I was making this up. They tested it out in Washington, D.C., and it scared a lot of people, but they obviously seriously misunderstood Japan's history with kitsune. The plan was never executed. As post-World War II Japan opened up its borders and became increasingly globalized, stories of the kitsune spread in part because of a new interest in Japanese folk studies. Some of this meant that stories of Yo-kai like the kitsune were translated into other languages for the first time. As technology evolved, so did the kitsune, and they continued to be the most referenced Yo-kai even today. In 1996, Vulpix and Ninetales introduced a whole new generation of kids and adults across the world to the kitsune as Fire-type Pokémon. The Yo-kai also helped inspire a female kitsune-like character in the popular online multiplayer game League of Legends, one whose appearance and traits mirror those of older stories of

Not like the Tangu that wants humans to earn supernatural martial arts abilities through discipline, or a Kappa who will begrudgingly grant knowledge to repay a debt. Kitsune's way feels somehow more interpretive, making it easier for humans to relate to in both positive and

negative ways. Kitsune are brilliant shape shifters, much like the popular Tanuki, who also happens to have an animal counterpart. But the Tanuki's transformation abilities are said to surpass that of the Kitsune. They can even alter inanimate objects, turning

leaves into money temporarily, for instance. But their chaotic nature means their transformations tend to be more silly than convincing. Tanuki are more playful and goofy, which makes them harder to take seriously. Kitsune, on the other hand, often use their

shape-shifting ability for more insidious trickery, like posing as a weary traveler to gain access to a home and stealing all the homeowner's stuff overnight, or by posing as an innocent child before causing mayhem. Most legends have kitsune who adopt the form

of a beautiful woman or young girl to seduce or bewitch, a much more serious matter. Kitsune who appear as beautiful women are especially feared since they will use their beauty to drain the life force of unsuspecting men. There are

also stories of kitsune shape-shifting into fox brides beginning in the 9th century. The fox bride also allows for another possibility the other prominent Yo-kai lack part human offspring.

Uniquely, kitsune and human offspring are often believed to possess some of the magical abilities of their Yo-kai parent. The individuals were not relegated to the pages of fiction either. In the Hyan period, a well-known court cosmologist, Abino Seame, claimed

his powers over the spirits were the product of a kitsune ancestry. His mother is a notorious kitsune Kusenoha, a divine messenger with nine tales, the most akitsune can have. According to the story, a wounded white fox is saved from

trappers by a human man, Yasuna. Falling in love with the man in his kindness, the fox shapeshifts into a beautiful woman and they marry. In her disguised form, Kusenoha bears a child, Seay. For years, they live happily until Seay

catches a glimpse of her tale. With her true Kitsune identity revealed, she is forced to return to the wild. Abos Se's popular tale has been immortalized in Kabuki and puppet theater, spreading the lore of the kitsune.

Shape-shifting abilities in kitsune grow stronger as they age, and eventually they can appear human. Older kitsune can also produce elaborate illusions, something that makes their trickster nature even more dangerous. Kitsune have a hierarchy largely based on their demeanor and supernatural capabilities,

each with their own name. They can be red, gold, white, or black. This class and order reflects a change in Japan that was becoming wealthier and more divided by that wealth. Kitsune represent malleability, so they often pop up during social and cultural shifts

in Japan. Being the moral shape shifters that they are, kitsune don't follow human moral standards since they exist outside them. But how they interact with humans and the human response to their actions often indicate the social norms of the time. This continues in the

modern period. Quick story. There was even an attempt to weaponize their importance during World War II when American intelligence operatives tried to exploit belief in the kitsune with Operation Fantasia. Believing incorrectly that the Yo-kai were symbols of doom, they came up with a plan to

capture red foxes from other countries, spray paint them to glow in the dark, and set them free in Japan. I truly wish I was making this up. They tested it out in Washington DC, and it scared a lot of

people, but they obviously seriously misunderstood Japan's history with kitsune. The plan was never executed. As postworld war II Japan opened up its borders and became increasingly globalized, stories of the kitsune spread in part because of a new interest

in Japanese folk studies. Some of this meant that stories of yo-kai like the kitsune were translated into other languages for the first time. As technology evolved, so did the kitsune and they continued to be the most referenced Yo-kai even today. In 1996,

Vulpix and Ninetales introduced a whole new generation of kids and adults across the world to the Kitsune as firet type Pokémon. The Yo-kai also helped inspire a female kitune-like character in the popular online multiplayer game League of Legends, one whose appearance and

traits mirror those of older stories of the life-vraving kitsune and reinforce some contemporary stereotypical female attributes. Part of her backstory is that one man willingly allows her to consume his life force in exchange for her love. Although like other fox bride

stories before, it ultimately ends in tragedy. And teen Kira, the daughter of a human and a 900-year-old Kitsune, learns that she possesses a fox spirit and can wield fox fire and electricity.

It's an homage to the Kitsune's unique procreation abilities, but also a new interpretation of fox possession as she struggles to maintain balance and control over the kitsune side of herself. In the end, kitsune endures in part because it is versatile and

transferable into human life. It's the one that can be almost anything, a trickster, protector, a god, or a human.

The kitsune reigns with its adaptability again and again across centuries. There are many cute versions of the kitsune today. They really lend themselves to current trends in manga, anime, kawaii, and global commercialism. But the older, more traditional tales are still told

time and time again as well. Add their continued religious importance and the prevalence of real red foxes, all of whom who have the potential to become Yo-kai themselves, and you have a pretty compelling case for why this particular

Yo-kai continues to enchant us. So the So the Oh my god. So the kitsune prediction. I got to do it again. Not action.

Not action. This is so distracting. Okay, I can do this. I'm a professional.