Kudagitsune (管狐)

About this Yokai

Kudagitsune (管狐) is a small, fox spirit believed to inhabit a bamboo tube, found in folklore across central and eastern Japan. Usually invisible to all but its master, it is said to whisper secrets, reveal the past, and foretell the future. Practitioners could also use it for curses. Families rumored to possess Kudagitsune were often both feared and stigmatized, even as they prospered. Legends describe these spirits being carried by ascetic mountain priests and passed down with daughters in marriage, sometimes in large numbers.

Artist’s Note

I see it as a kind of portable helper that could still exist today. Foxes can deceive, yet also serve the gods—I’m drawn to that dual nature.