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1. A Fox Visits the Neighbor's Inari Shrine 2. . . . Glances this Way 3. . . .Looks for a Place to Rest 4. . . .And Prepares for a Nap in the Sun 5. An Inari Votive Plaque

(Click on any of the photographs to enlarge; enlarged versions are about 50-60k each) When I first moved to Fujino, I wasn't expecting to witness the variety of wildlife that I have in fact seen. After all, the town is just one hour from the center of the largest megapolis in the world, and only fifteen minutes from one of its satellite cities, Hachiôji. One day in February, 1995, I was working in my office when I saw an animal approach a small "Inari" shrine located by a large, shaggy tree on our neighbor's property. The tree and its shrine are about 40 meters from my second-storey window, so I have a relatively good view. The tree has a story of its own: according to neighborhood talk, plans were made on several occasions in the past to cut the tree down, but each time, an unfortunate death occurred. As a result, the owners decided the tree was a numinous entity, inhabited, perhaps, by a kami (*NB "deity"), and they decided to construct the small Inari shrine seen in the accompanying photographs. The kami commonly called Inari goes by the more classical name Ukanomitama no Kami, a name with overtones suggesting jurisdiction over grains and foodstuffs. By extension, however, the kami has also been adopted as a popular folk tutelary of wealth and household grounds. Small shrines dedicated to Inari are commonly seen found as the yashikigami or "house tutelary" of homes throughout Fujino and elsewhere in Japan. And interestingly, the animal familiar associated with the kami Inari is—you guessed it—the fox. The final picture below shows a typical votive plaque dedicated to the kami Inari, and depicting a pair of foxes as divine animal familiars. My first inclination when seeing this animal was to assume it was a dog, but a second glance at the characteristic ears and tail quickly convinced me I was witnessing a fox. As I watched, the fox walked up to the shrine, sniffed around, and actually jumped up and inside the shrine. Those were the days before I had a digital camera, so I ran for my old Nikon F3, a tripod, and the longest telephoto lens I had (unfortunately only 300mm). When I returned with the camera loaded and ready, the fox had left the shrine enclosure and was sniffing around the brush outside. It circled a number of times in front of the shrine and curled into a ball under the late winter sun, napping for about thirty minutes before it got up and wandered out through our neighbor's field and away. As the fox trotted away I could see its fur was scraggly and unkempt; probably the result of insufficient or improper diet. And that once was the only time I've seen a fox in Fujino. Fujino is home to a number of other wild animals that one isn't likely to see in the nearby capital; those (mammals) I've witnessed personally include (in ascending order of size) mice, moles, rats, weasels, rabbits, musasabi (large flying squirrels), Japanese badgers (very common animals that waddle along and are frequently hit by cars on the roads), hakubishin (a relative of the mongoose and about the size of a large cat), tanuki (racoon dogs), Japanese monkeys, and feral pigs (inoshishi). And if you're interested in snakes, you might take a look at this Quiz Time. After getting these photographs developed, I took them to my neighbor and told him "I've seen the kami from your shrine!" He looked at me like I was a few cards short of a full deck, but understood when he saw the photos. NB* The Japanese word kami is usually translated as deity or "god," though it does not necessarily possess the specific metaphysically "supernatural" character of a god in Western tradition. If you're interested in a bit more in-depth consideration of the concept, see my "Immanent Legitimation: Reflections on the 'Kami Concept'".) To return to your previous location, use your browser's "BACK" button, or click your heels together three times while saying, "there's no place like home" . . .

Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
by Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com
Updated: April 20, 2002

URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/