The fox, in both Japan and China, was a powerful supernatural creature, rooted deep in the minds and imaginations of the people. From the earliest times, the fox was associated with magic and sorcery, and was associated with deities of food.

It is likely that the earliest developments of folk practices involving foxes followed similar patterns in both cultures: in China, the worship of the four sacred animals was developed, whereas in Japan, some form of pre-Inari fox worship was in place, possibly resembling the fox worship of the Ainu people, but almost certainly involving the fox in the role of a rice deity.

In addition to this worship, many other folk practices emerged involving the fox as a supernatural creature of great power. China had its xiang tou and dao nai nai sorcerers and healers, while Japan had its kitsune-tsukai, takusen, and kitsune-mochi. It seems most likely that these practices and beliefs developed independently of one another, sharing only a common prehistoric root in the tribes of the region.

The folktales and literature, on the other hand, whilst sharing many themes and ideas, differs in the balance of materials depicting the fox as a positive creature and those depicting it as a negative creature. In China, it is generally depicted as a negative creature within the folklore, while in Japan there is more of a balance. Although it is unclear where the origins of these folktales lie, my own belief is that they represent the general feeling of the literate classes towards the fox. This is supported by the real environment of the two countries, the Japanese literate classes supporting Inari worship whilst also acknowledging the negative folk practices that went on, and the Chinese literate classes giving little or no support to fox worship or any such practices.

Based on this, it is no surprise that the Chinese fox did not achieve a status anything like the Japanese fox did. Those who worshipped the fox in China were happy to keep it where it was, as a folk deity that could answer their prayers more efficiently than the Daoist or Buddhist gods, whilst the Daoist followers looked down on folk practices as superstitious and wanted to distance themselves from them, even when their own practices resembled those of folk practices.

The Japanese fox, on the other hand, went through a major transformation. The early associations with rice, while not responsible for the strong relationship between the fox and Inari, certainly must have made the transition a very natural one. The relationship was made easier through a number of other factors, including the similarity of the Dagini sect’s practices to those of fox sorcery, and Shinto’s natural similarities to the folk religion. I believe the true impetus behind the association, however, was the intentional maneuvering by the Inari and Dagini sects to increase their popularity by allying themselves with each other, and associating themselves with the ever-popular fox.

The move was obviously a successful one. Inari is, even today, one of the most popular gods in Japan, and the fox association remains strong. I believe that the associations with the fox helped increase Inari’s popularity, while at the same time the fox’s associatins with Inari increased the fox’s popularity also.

If the fox had not went through this transition, it would still perhaps remain a popular spirit icon, perhaps like the Tanuki in Japan today, which did not escape the realm of folk practices and folklore, yet can be found outside and inside many food and drink establishments in Japan today.It is impossible to say what might have happened to the Japanese fox under different circumstances. It is almost certain, however, that the fox’s status would be a very different one.