A second fox, and one that the tourist is much less likely to find, takes possession of the spirit of an individual and must be driven out by various means. Fox possession is sometimes diagnosed when a person becomes irrational and begins behaving strangely. One of the many modern religions of Japan, Sukyo Mahikari, frequently cures alcoholism by exorcising thirsty fox spirits. (The fox is generally seen as fond of sake, fried tofu and fried rats, and these are often used to trap him as we will see below.)

A frequent means used to drive out a fox spirit is through pain. In the first half of this century there were several cases reported in the newspapers of people who died during the process of having a fox spirit driven from them. One case tells of a mad woman who died during treatment by being denied all food, having red pepper applied to her nose, eyes, and mouth, and having her body rubbed with red-hot fire tongs. Another police case reported in the newspaper tells of a woman who had been insane for several years. Eventually, after all other attempts at a cure had failed, her kinsmen became convinced that she was possessed by a fox spirit. She died during the “usual” curing process of having her eyes and nostrils filled with sulfur while onlookers chanted Buddhist sutras. Even today, small children who are cranky and cry too frequently may be perceived as possessed by foxes. The exorcism is far more gentle today, however.

The Fox as trickster and shape changer

The third fox, and the one that concerns us most, is the fox as trickster and shape changer. When a fox attains a great age (the exact age depends on the text and varies from fifty to a thousand years) it gains the power to change its shape. Usually it assumes human shape, frequently that of a beautiful woman, but it may also take the form of other animals or inanimate objects. Sometimes this is with evil intent, but more often it seems to be as trickster. Many legends and/or jokes are told of foxes in disguise, how to recognize them, and how they are exposed.

Folk belief tells of several ways that we might recognize a fox in disguise. A fox always emits a slight glow and even on the darkest night she will be visible.