The fox (kitsune in Japanese) has long been an important animal in local folklore and mythology. Inari is the rice god and so powerful that humans can only communicate with him by sending requests via his messengers; foxes, who were seen as protectors for they ate rodents trying to eat rice. Furthermore, foxes can change into beautiful women that bewitch men, they are believed to possess superior intelligence, magical powers, long life and they gain power as they grow older. It is for these folkloric reasons that the fox is such an intriguing and mystifying animal to many.
Of course, none of this matters too much to me as my main interest in foxes stems purely from it being the nickname of my beloved Leicester City Football Club. The fox image was first incorporated into the club badge in 1948 as the county of Leicestershire is famed for foxes and fox hunting. Having watched the foxes (which it has to be said is a name only ever really used in the media!) win again in the Premier League, and on the back of just three hours sleep we left Tokyo very early last Sunday morning to visit the spiritual home of Tokyo Fox.
Japan is the land of places devoted solely to one animal whether it be owl, cat or dog cafes, the monkey onsen, deer parks or islands full of rabbits or cats. We’ve been to some of those over the last few years but Fox Village in Miyagi Prefecture was the one I have very much wanted to visit ever since I heard about it a few years ago. Continue reading
Tokyo Fox (東京狐) 