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The Shape Changer Kitsune: The Many Faces of the Japanese Fox |
| Section: CULTURE / FOLK WISDOM--TRICKSTER MYTHOLOGY FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
| Author: Thomas Wayne Johnson |
| Publication: The world & I online |
| Issue Date: 4/1/1990 |
| Size: 2,583 Words, 13,573 Characters |
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Other than the four-footed animal that one sometimes sees in rural areas, the fox is at least three separate characters in Japanese folklore, one of which is its major trickster figure. The living creature and these three (or more) different personae are frequently interwoven in interesting and confusing ways.
The first fox that the foreign tourist is likely to find in Japan is the messenger of the Shinto deity Inari-sama. Inari is responsible for many important aspects of Japanese life. He began as the god of the rice harvest, but over time he has been vested with powers over many other related areas and he is today most frequently seen as devoted to prosperity and fertility in general. By extension, he has also become a patron deity of prostitutes as well as modern business....
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...i (a piece of fried bean curd stuffed with rice, occasionally containing red beans). Remember that the wild drunk whom you meet on the train may simply be possessed by a fox spirit and need exorcism. Especially remember that the beautiful woman in the striking kimono might be a fox in disguise. If you are unable to check to see if she glows in the dark, you can always look for a fried rat.
(806 of 13,573 characters)
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