Kitsune (Nine-Tailed Fox)

Origin and tradition

Japanese kitsune stories give foxes the ability to change form, deceive people, or repay kindness. Foxes also appear as messengers associated with Inari. The trickster of a folktale and a fox in a religious setting are related images, but their roles should not be treated as interchangeable.

Illustration in this atlas

A beautiful, golden-furred fox that grows additional tails as it gathers wisdom. At nine tails, its fur turns white or golden-red.

References and further reading

1. yokai.com — Kitsune (Nine-Tailed Fox)

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.