Kitsune-Tsuki (
Appearance[]
In their cameo in the 1985 anime, Kitsune-Tsuki resembles a bright-orange fox.
Personality[]
In the 1985 anime, Kitsune-Tsuki is an ally of Kitarō, helping him scare the passengers in the Ghost Train.
History[]
Yuki-Hime-chan and GeGeGe no Kitarō[]
It was appearing in a graveyard of a mountain to chew on fish heads every night, and was initially hypothesized as Kubi-Kajiri, but turned out to be Kitsune-Tsuki possessing a corpse. When it lost against Kitarō, it then controlled Yuki-Hime and went violent, and chased away Kitarō and others from the GeGeGe House. However, Kitarō swallowed its spirit when it got drunk, and vaporized it with his internal radiation.
1985 Anime[]
Kitsune-Tsuki first appears in episode #6 of the third anime adaptation, Hell Journey! Ghost Train!!, scaring the two human passengers.
Powers and Abilities[]
Possession
Hypothesis
Legend[]
Back in the past, if someone was behaving incoherently or spoke nonsense, people would believe they were possessed by a kitsune, in a type of tsukimono (spirit possession) called Kitsune-Tsuki. This tsukimono is more common then others. Those who have Kitsune-Tsuki look and act more like a fox, gaining sharper teeth and a more streamlined face. The three main types of Kitsune-Tsuki are the possession of an individual, possession of a family, and possession for use as a medium.
If a kitsune possesses an individual, it's often in retaliation for something that person did to it, like killing one of its family members. The most specific type of person they possess are either women or weak-minded people, so men getting Kitsune-Tsuki is rare. When possessed, the person will act crazy and act erratically, and might even run through the streets naked, foam at the mouth, and yelp like a fox. Kitsune can speak through their hosts' mouths, and are often able to speak and read languages that they previously had no knowledge of. Kitsune can even control their hosts like a puppet, causing them to do all sorts of evil things.
If a kitsune possesses a family, that family becomes rich and fertile. These families, called kitsune mochi, were able to manipulate the possessing kitsune. Alternatively to bringing prosperity to their owners, kitsune could be used to terrorize a family’s enemies. Kitsune mochi families used these spirits to place curses, possess, or bring sickness to others, and keep spirits for generations, handing down their secrets from parent to child. A kitsune mochi family would honor and care for its possessing spirit, for it could just as easily bring the same ruin upon their own entire family. People suspected of belonging to kitsune mochi families were mistrusted for their unnatural abilities and feared by their neighbors. Even today, in some parts of Japan, people belonging to these lineages occasionally have trouble finding marriage partners, as few parents would allow their son or daughter to join such a family. This type of Kitsune-Tsuki is mirrored with Inugami of West Japan, as dogs and weasels are more commonly seen there compared to foxes. In their case, the families are called inugami mochi, and were treated the same way as kitsune mochi.
If Kitsune-Tsuki is used as a possession for use as a medium, it's done by inviting a kitsune to possess a willing person in order to perform divinations. A kitsune would enter the medium’s body and speak through their mouth, predicting the future or giving secret knowledge. This was a very dangerous practice, as it relies on the the kitsune's willingness to leave the body after the possession.
While people under Kitsune-Tsuki are easily identified as being possessed, those without clear signs are harder to spot, but there are some ways to diagnose one. Despite living in a human’s body, kitsune retain certain traits which can make it easy for them to be spot. All kitsune love fried tofu and azuki beans. A possessed person will often eat these foods in large amounts and not filling up. A possessed person also develops a strong fear of dogs. In addition, a small lump can often be found hidden on the victim’s body. This is the place where the kitsune resides. If pushed or pricked, this lump slips away and hides in another part of the body. It cannot be caught or removed by any physical means.
Since the belief of Kitsune-Tsuki was widespread, multiple folk cures have been invented over the centuries to deal with it. Exorcism was usually performed at Inari shrines, as foxes are sacred to Inari. One more benign treatment included having the victim licked from head to toe by dogs, which foxes fear intensely. Other less fortunate victims were beaten or burned in attempts to drive out the kitsune. In some cases, priests would burn fresh pine leaves, suffocating the patient in thick, toxic smoke in an attempt to drive out the possessing spirit. Unfortunately this sometimes killed the patient before driving out the kitsune. Ultimately, even if the victim was cured of the possession, the families of people accused of Kitsune-Tsuki often suffered ostracism and social isolation for the rest of their lives.
In the old days, a man living in the Honjo area of Edo was possessed by a kitsune, which caused a great commotion. His family grew worried, and an old man gave him a pack of medicine that was said to drive away kitsune, but the possessed man smelled it and refused to take it. Later the medicine was ground into powder and mixed into soup for the man. As soon as the man drank a sip, he was horrified and shouted: "I fell into a trap!", and immediately went crazy, causing chaos everywhere, and finally fell to the ground. When the man woke up, the kitsune had already escaped,
In another Kitsune-Tsuki story, when medicine, prayers, and even putting fried tofu outside the house didn't work, a gambler brought a pile of salted tuna meat, smeared it all over the possessed person's body, tied him up to a pillar in his house, and brought a dog, which licked him up and down. Since kitsune hate dogs, the man began to shake all over and screamed loudly, until finally the kitsune left.
In yet another Kitsune-Tsuki story, around the Edo Senju area, there was a man who was under Kitsune-Tsuki, and someone close to him begged a samurai to help him exorcise the kitsune. Not only did the samurai fail, but even the kitsune mocked him. Enraged, the samurai drew his sword to chop the kitsune up, but the fox quickly fled in a panic.