At the opposite end of holy people are the fox-owning families (kitsune-mochi).  These families possess kitsune who protect them, their property, and rice paddies from harm.  Many people avoid these families since if the family is offended, the kitsune will take possession of the offenders.
            The Japanese usually divide kitsune into two ( Read more... )

To describe kitsune or Japanese fox spirits is to enter a world of illusion, of alternative realities.  Like a wisp of smoke, you attempt to hold it, and always you come away with nothing.  Reading several kitsune stories is similar to diving into a lake and arriving at another world where the imagination rules.
            Ostensibly, kitsune are ( Read more... )