The Fox's Craft in Japanese Religion and Culture

by Michael Bathgate

For more than a millennium, the fox has been a ubiquitous figure at the margins of the Japanese collective imagination. In the writings of the nobility and the motifs of popular literature, the fox is known as a shapeshifter, able to assume various forms in order to deceive others. Focusing on recurring themes of transformation and duplicity in folklore, theology, and court and village practice, The Fox's Craft explores the meanings and uses of shapeshifter fox imagery in Japanese history. Michael Bathgate finds that the shapeshifting powers of the fox make it a surprisingly fundamental symbol in the discourse of elite and folk alike, and a key component in formulations of marriage and human identity, religious knowledge, and the power of money. The symbol of the shapeshifter fox thus provides a vantage point from which to understand the social practice of signification.

Genres: Japan

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Julian Bohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book wanting to gain a historical perspective on foxes and their representation in Japanese culture. Expecting a study focusing on tales as well as an in-depth description of the Inari/fox relationship, I was left slightly disappointed. Not that this is not an interesting read or serious book. I did find the handful tales mentioned and their analysis interesting (particularly the reference to weddings and the place of women in JP culture, or the evolution of the fox’s representation during the Edo period). If anything though, the book itself is overly technical.

Since it is filled with technical terms and references to scholarly theories (Structuralism, linguistics and more. Think R. Jakobson, Saussure, R. Barthes and Levi Strauss to name but a few), I would not recommend this work to anyone that does not have at least a fairly comprehensive knowledge of modern social sciences. In each chapter, the author blends western theories with Japanese folklore, or rather “forces” western theories on Japanese folkloric narratives. It felt to me that his main focus was to theorize the fox as a trickster and prove that western theories can work in this specific case.

Overall an interesting book for those that could be looking for a theoretical approach to tale analysis (and may want to develop their own on different topics), but quite disappointing for myself or a person looking for a folklore or historical study.

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected it to be. I expected more a collection of folk tales and characteristics of the foxes in Japanese culture.
What I found was more of a study, searching for the shifting meanings of these foxes and the stories they feature (e.g. from blessing ancestor to progenitor of a cursed lineage, from divine agents to malicious fiends) as well as interpretations of the myths, symbols and development in the context of social-economical change in Japan over the time. Now while it wasn't what I expected it to be it was still quite interesting to read what different, or sometimes very similar stories, meant in different time periods and how the kami Inari and thereby the fox could stand for both what Japanese considered bad and good, basically due to its connection with rice.
This is also the first book ever where I read of a story about a man being transformed into a fox by a fox apparently. This is extraordinary by itself since human transformation in general doesn't feature much in Japanese folklore, it is usually animals, demons or spirits who do so and if humans do transform they rather become monsters then animals.
Now, this book was far from perfect, make no mistake about that. While this book is fast paced and well written the author uses so many sophisticated words that some people might lose interest in reading because of it. Also while the author's interpretations are interesting I had wished for more in-depth portrayal of the belief in foxes and Inari, as well as into their powers.
In addition I think the author was too quick to use western terms even if they clearly don't apply. For instance he considers these foxes spirits (and once even vampires, but otherwise likened them to succubi in that case) but this doesn't fit since the most famous fox story, which he quotes and analyzes, already involves the spirit of such a fox taking on the shape of a rock after it was killed. So what? Was it the spirit of a spirit for him? Doesn't make much sense in my eyes.
And as interesting as the book is the author constantly uses "spirit" for beings like magical raccoon dogs, foxes and tengu, which is simply not correct. Spirits are usually immaterial beings but all of these here are usually fully corporal.
And although I didn't get a collection of stories and such, the range that was covered (fox-wives, tricksters, thieves, retribution, reward, divine messenger, deity, wealth; technically this book is at its best when it directly interprets those stories) makes me wonder why on earth so little modern comic, book and movie authors use so little of it all. I mean how many feature that foxes can even turn into inanimate objects?
So for all its flaws, this was a pretty enjoyable book. The reading was quick, it never bored me, I learned a few knew things and the structure is good (the chapters are not confusingly arranged or anything).
I just wouldn't recommend it to people not used to a more scientific language.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Analysis isn't bad, but I'm not convinced that his focus wasn't too wide.