At first I believed it was due to my natural inclination to take a closer look and to enjoy a longer view of one of the wild creatures that shares these islands with us. This one has learned to steal food put out for Red-crowned Cranes in winter in east HokkaidoĮach time I see one, I just have to stop. In fact they are curious and often stare at or even approach anything or anyone new in their surroundingsįoxes quickly learn where there are easy pickings. In Honshu, foxes tend to be completely nocturnal and shy, however in Hokkaido they are also diurnal in winter and not particularly shy of people. The foxes of Japan really are extraordinary creatures, whereas those of Hokkaido are confiding and unusually conspicuous, those in Honshu are secretive and retiring, but more than just extraordinary there is something else about them. Absurd, that is, unless enchantment was the key. In real life we are dealing with an out and out opportunist, willing to try almost anything, but as they typically eat things ranging in size from small insects, beetles, grasshoppers and earthworms, or even berries and fruits in the autumn, to rodents and occasionally birds and hares, the tale of one having killed a cow in Hokkaido is as absurd as the thought of a person being killed by a rampaging kitten. Yet despite this, the enchanting Red Fox, or Reynard as he is known in Europe, Vulpes vulpes to scientists the world over, and Kita-kitsune here in Japan, has, in the form of its alter ego the "Happy Little North Fox" become virtually a symbol (albeit commercial) of Hokkaido, the north land, thanks to massive sales of "Happy North Fox" and "Cute Little North Fox in Wonderful Nature" goods. But there is much more to the 'humble' fox than meets the eye, and proverbs abound attempting to explain the lore of the fox.įoxes are common in mythology, too, adorning charms, painted prayer tablets, and appearing as statues at many a shrine, but whereas the raccoon dog or Tanuki is a practical joker, performing pranks or assuming the shape of the moon, our fox, on the other hand, can be a wicked deceiver. Fuji, and watched them investigating the nooks and crannies at the base of a Hokkaido sea-cliff just out of reach of the waves. These are deceptive, far-ranging, and strange creatures - I have listened to their eerie calls, the high-pitched barking of the dog fox on frosty winter's nights and to the strange caterwauling cry of the vixen I have tracked them in the snows across the highest peak in the land, Mt. Be on your guard! There are foxes about! Beware the shape-changers, and take care to avoid possession! But don't just expect to see a fox loping down the street bold as brass towards you, though there are places in Japan where that has happened, and most unnerving it is too.įoxes are usually far craftier than to allow themselves to be seen and are quite unwilling to reveal themselves in their true forms, for they exist on many planes, as godly messengers, as tricksters and deceivers, and as wild and wily animals.
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