Edogawa-ku, Shinozaki fox legend: "A man bewitched by a fox" and a modern-day phantom

"Does Edogawa Ward have an image of a monster?" Many people may tilt their heads and say, "Hmm... not really?" However, in fact, there is a legitimate legend in Shinozaki, Edogawa Ward, about someone being "bewitched by a fox."

A strange tale told in Shinozaki, next to the Komatsu River

The Edo period essay "Umeo Zuihitsu" tells of a strange story experienced by a certain man.

One morning, while walking around Shinozaki, the man scares four white foxes sleeping by the roadside. Afterwards, thinking that it suddenly started raining, he rushes to the house where he usually stays, only to be told that his wife has died and asked him to stay at the house. However, at night, the wife's spirit appears from the coffin and bites the man's arm.

When the man came to, he was sitting on the bank of the river covered in blood, and it was not actually raining. When people heard this, they all whispered, "He must have been tricked by a fox."

Transforming foxes from all over Japan

There are stories like this of people being tricked by foxes all over Japan. In particular, in the Kanto region, there are many reports of people getting lost or having visions, and foxes have been believed to be "beings that can get into the gaps in people's hearts." Shinozaki's story is one such example of "the extraordinary lurking in the ordinary."

Recreating the Yokai Shop: The Ghost of a Fox Resurrected with Body Paint

In order to convey this legend to the present day, Yokai-ya has collaborated with body painter Mayura to create a photo reproduction of "Shinozaki Fox".@Faceart_Mayura)

This work is inspired by illustrations from the Edo period and fuses them with modern times. In a field of silver grass, two foxes (although the literature says there are four) are gathered around a fire.

Yokai are local memories

The reason we take up yokai is not simply because we want to tell scary stories, but because they act as a kind of "key" to understanding the memories and atmosphere that live on in local communities.

Next time, we will introduce another Tokyo yokai legend. Well, maybe there are some devious creatures lurking in your town too.

See you again when the presence of youkai becomes more prevalent.