- Overview
- Natural Foxes (狐 "Fox")
- Youko (妖狐 "Mystic Fox")
- Nogitsune (野狐 "Field Fox")
- Zenko (善狐 "Virtuous Fox")
- Tenko (天狐 "Heavenly Fox")
- Kuuko (空狐 "Sky Fox")
- Shinko (辰狐 "Dragon Fox")
- Byakko (白狐 "White Fox"), Reiko (霊狐 "Spirit Fox"), Koshin/Kitsunegami (狐神 "Fox God") & Inari (稲荷 "Rice Bearer")
- Kokuko (黒狐 "Black Fox" or 玄狐 "Brown Fox")
- Kinko (金狐 "Gold Fox") & Ginko (銀狐 "Silver Fox")
- Kiko (気狐 "Air Fox")
- Zenko Aspirants
- Kyuubi-no-Kitsune (九尾の狐 "Nine-Tailed Fox")
- Closing Words
And now, a little word about the different types of Japanese foxes in culture and mythology.
Many of you will likely be familiar with the term "Kitsune", which in western culture is generally used to refer to all kinds of Japanese foxes collectively. However, in Japan, there's actually nothing mystic at all to the term "Kitsune", which just literally translates into "fox" without any special connotation to it. If you want to get more mystical, however, there's a number of terms that are used to refer to specific kinds of foxes, such as Byakko, Nogitsune, Kyubi-no-Kitsune, Yoko, Inari and several more, which I will now elaborate on.
Overview
First, here's a little overview of the different types of Japanese foxes to hopefully make it a little bit less confusing
The various sources I checked also list rankings of foxes. Specifically, there are two distinct chains of commands that I could find, which are:
- Tenko > Kuuko > Byakko > Chiko > Ashirei > Nogitsune
- Tenko > Kuuko > Kiko > Nogitsune
There's also a number of types of foxes that are related to one another, or might, in fact, be regionally different names for the same thing, such as Ninko and Kudagitsune or Kuuko and Shinko.
Finally, the Kyuubi-no-Kitsune is the most controversial. Some sources
regard it as a high-ranking Zenko, while others refer to it as a
high-ranking Nogitsune, so basically, the only thing they agree on is that
it is of high rank.
Natural Foxes (狐 "Fox")
As mentioned above, when a Japanese person says "Kitsune", there's no
special connotation to it, and they are most likely referring to a good
old normal fox. With so many fox shrines around, you'd assume that wild
fox sightings are a regular thing in Japan. However, in all my time there,
I have only seen one fox for sure, while driving across a remote part of
Hokkaido near Erimo Misaki (see Book
II ~ Chapter 8 ~ An East Side Story), and potentially another late
at night near Daisen (see Book
II ~ Chapter 13 ~ Daring Daisen), though it was too dark to say for
sure back then. Both of these times were in rather remote areas, meaning
that Japan is probably *not* the place to go fox watching.
At the same time, if you want to meet real life foxes, there's two places
where you can literally walk among them: Zao Kitsune Mura (see Book
II ~ Chapter 5 ~ A Trip Together) near Shiroishi - which is only a
few hundred Kilometers north of Tokyo - and Kitami Kitakitsune Bokujou
near Kitami in the middle of Hokkaido (see Book
II ~ Chapter 8 ~ An East Side Story again). The Zao Kitsune Mura is
easier to reach and the more exciting place to go to, but the foxes are
treated significantly better at the Kitami Kitakitsune Bokujou.
Anyway, there's still a differentiation between the "normal" foxes of Japan: The main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku are home to the Akagitsune (赤狐 "Red Fox") which is the same old red fox that is home in most parts of the northern hemisphere, while Hokkaido is home to a subspecies known as Kitakitsune (北狐 "North Fox"). This difference is due to the fact that Hokkaido is separated from the rest of Japan by the Tsuguru Strait, which forms an ecological boundary known as Blakiston's Line. The reason for that is that the Tsuguru Strait is deep enough that Hokkaido and Honshu did not connect during the last ice age.
Akagitsune (赤狐 "Red Fox")
Native to the main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, the Akagitsune came to the Japanese Islands via a land bridge from Korea, back at a time when Korea, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku were all joined as a big peninsula. This is your good old vulpes vulpes, which is also at home in wide parts of the northern hemisphere.
Kitakitsune (北狐 "North Fox")
Also known as the Ezo red fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki), the Kitakitsune is native to Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and the other surrounding islands in that area. It is a little larger, has brighter fur, and also has more black features than the Akagitsune. Its ancestors migrated to these islands from northern Russia, bringing a slightly but noticeably more cold-adapted gene pool with them.
Youko (妖狐 "Mystic Fox")
When most western people say "Kitsune", this is typically what they mean, because this refers to supernatural foxes of all kinds. However, while it technically referrs to any kind of supernatural fox, it is more commonly used to refer to devious foxes, thus making it slightly synonymous to the umbrella term for Nogitsune. Also note that the "You" in "Youko" is the same as in Youkai (妖怪 "Specter") and Yousei (妖精 "Fairy").
Nogitsune (野狐 "Field Fox")
Also pronounced "Yako" (which is written with the same Kanji but uses different readings - Kanji are weird), these are foxes that serve no deity and are pretty wicked. They disguise themselves as humans and try to seduce people. They are also known to possess humans, as well as bring disease and death.
Especially in Kyushu, there's many tales of them, and sometimes families were suspected of keeping Nogitsune and using them to bring harm to others. Some sources say Nogitsune are always black or white, or outright invisible, while others depict them with brown or orange fur.
Unsurprisingly, they sit at the very bottom of the hierarchy of mystical foxes. Some sources say they can ascend in rank, for example by entering the services of a deity. The term Nogitsune is sometimes also used as an umbrella term that opposes Zenko, describing devious foxes in general.
Kudagitsune (管狐 "Pipe Fox")
A small type of fox spirit that lives in a bamboo pipe. Tales of Kudagitsune are predominantly told in the central and northern parts of Honshu, that is, Chubu, Kanto and Tohoku. They typically accompany a Kitsune-Tsukai (狐遣い "Fox User"), who is the only one who can see them, and whisper information about other people's past or future into their user's ear. As such, they are popular familiars for fortune-tellers.
Ninko/Hitogitsune (人狐 "Person Fox")
An evil type of fox that possesses people. It is said to enter the abdomen, make a person sick, and after the person dies tear out through the stomach or back, leaving a black hole in the corpse. In other cases, it is said that those who are possessed can walk on all fours like a fox and like to eat the same things as foxes. Just like with Kudagitsune, it is said that if one marries into a household possessed by Ninko, they will bring 75 foxes upon their own household, which is why households suspected of being possessed by Ninko were avoided like the plague.
Zenko (善狐 "Virtuous Fox")
This is an umbrella term to refer to benevolent foxes in general. It is
generally used as the direct opposite of the term "Nogitsune". The more
concrete types of these virtuous foxes are Tenko, Kinko, Ginko, Kokuko and
Byakko. They probably also include Kuuko and Shinko, and maybe
the good Kyuubi-no-Kitsune. Another trademark of Zenko is that they do not
shape-shift or seduce humans. However, they may still possess
people at times, but only with good intentions.
Tenko (天狐 "Heavenly Fox")
The highest-ranking of all virtuous foxes. Some sources say a fox becomes a Tenko after living for a thousand years. Others say that this is the title for the highest-ranking of all foxes. In either case, the power of Tenko is said to rival that of deities
Kuuko (空狐 "Sky Fox")
A high-ranking fox spirit that is between 1000 and 3000 years old, and is second in rank only to the Tenko. They are benevolent foxes who help people, although that help may sometimes also include possession in order to heal sickness or guide them on the right path. Sometimes they are depicted entirely without tails.
Shinko (辰狐 "Dragon Fox")
A type of fox that serves as mount for the deity Inari or Dakini, which is the cultural origin of Inari. Originally hailing from Hinduism, Dakini found its way into Japanese culture by way of Buddhism, where it is still occasionally venerated as Dakiniten.
Shinko are pretty much always depicted carrying the deity, and may also bear a sacred jewel known as the Houju-no-Tama (宝珠の玉 "Precious Orb Jewel"), which in Buddhist tradition is considered a wish-fulfilling jewel and a sign of wisdom and enlightenment.
In fact, the tails of many fox statues, including the standard white ceramic foxes, are often styled to look like they're balancing a Houju-no-Tama, and the object in their paws might also be the same thing styled in a different way, unlike the smooth orb which they also sometimes carry, which is known as the Hoshi-no-Tama (星の玉 "Star Orb").
Incidentally, "Shinko" is a homophone to "神狐", which would mean "divine fox".
Byakko (白狐 "White Fox"), Reiko (霊狐 "Spirit Fox"), Koshin/Kitsunegami (狐神 "Fox God") & Inari (稲荷 "Rice Bearer")
These are all names for the same kind of fox, namely the kind that I've been covering for a hundred posts now. These are the typically white foxes watching over the shrines, and mostly Inari-Shrines at that. As such, people in Japan sometimes refer to these shrine foxes (or even foxes in general) as Inari-san, or sometimes even more reverently Inari-sama. This blurs the line between the foxes and the deity they are serving a little, but oh well.
I've heard some people say that these foxes are depicted as white to indicate that they are actually invisible, which is also the reason why they are sometimes depicted as black instead. Regardless of their coloration, however, these are generally considered to be the good foxes in service of the deity Inari. Also note that sometimes the term Reiko is used interchangeably with Zenko instead.
Kokuko (黒狐 "Black Fox" or 玄狐 "Brown Fox")
Foxes associated with the stars, and specifically the Big Dipper constellation. They are said to be bringers of peace, but I can find little else on them.
Kinko (金狐 "Gold Fox") & Ginko (銀狐 "Silver Fox")
These may also be pronounced Kingitsune and Gingitsune respectively, and they typically come in pairs, representing polar yet harmonious opposites. The Kinko represent the cosmic principle of Yang and the sun, while the Ginko represent represent the cosmic principle of Yin and the moon.
Kiko (気狐 "Air Fox")
Foxes that rank above Nogitsune and below Kuuko. Sadly, that is also already the extent of what I was able to find out about them.
Zenko Aspirants
One thing all the tales have in common is that Nogitsune can increase in rank, though the tales of how they do so differ. Some say it happens automatically after 100 or 1000 years, while others say the fox must work hard, learn arcane arts, or enter the services of a deity. Regardless, there's usually an intermediary stage they must go through. I haven't been able to find an umbrella term for those, so I'm referring to them as Zenko Aspirants.
Chiko (地狐 "Earth Fox")
Benevolent foxes that are between 100 and 500 years old and which rank just below Byakko. They appear to be more closely related to eoteric Buddhism than Shintoism. Specifically, there apparently is ritual known as the Sanruigyo (三類形 "Three Patterns"), which names Tenko, Chiko and Ninko as its components. But beyond that, I don't know much about these.
Senko (仙狐 "Wizard Fox")
These are actually closer related to Chinese mythology, but I'll cover them here anyway. It is said that a Nogitsune can take an exam in order to be recognized as a Senko. Other sources say that foxes that reach 100 or 1000 years of age automatically become Senko. Apart from that, I couldn't find much info on them.
Ashirei (阿紫霊 "Fawning Purple Soul")
Ordinary foxes who are trying to advance in rank. They rank above Nogitsune, but below Chiko. As such, they may or may not be the same as Senko.
Kyuubi-no-Kitsune (九尾の狐 "Nine-Tailed Fox")
This type of fox is probably the one that most people think of when hearing the term "Kitsune". It is the only type of Japanese fox that features multiple tails, and while other kinds of foxes are sometimes depicted with multiple tails, apart from the Kyuubi-no-Kitsune, I have not found any reference to such, apart from one picture of a Shinko that *may* be interpreted as having multiple tails.
Its fur is described as either red or white, although depictions with golden fur also exist. Some accounts describe it as an auspicious beast sent from the heavens, while others refer to it as a malicious entity.
In particular, the story of the legendary Kyuubi-no-Kitsune Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前 "In front of the Seaweed") is a well-known tale in Japan. Depending on how the story is told, Tamamo-no-Mae transformed into a beautiful woman and became the wife of one ruler or another, ruling the country from behind the scenes until she was discovered and fled in the form of a Kyuubi-no-Kitsune.
So all things considered, the Kyuubi-no-Kitsune might either be a high-ranking Nogitsune, or a Zenko on par with a Shinko.
Closing Words
And that's what I can tell you about foxes. I hope you found it enlightening. Again, all of this is to the best of my own knowledge, so if you know more than I do, please share it with me and I will update this document. Maybe with some help I can turn this into a comprehensive little study of the different types of Japanese foxes.
Anyway, that's it for now. And you can look forward to several hundred
more fox shrines gradually appearing on this blog, so stay tuned and be of
great cheer! =^,^=
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