Nagai Shinai
Miyagi Zao Fox Village
A Fox Refuge in the Mountains
It is rare to see a fox in the wild. Perhaps in part because of that reason, foxes have seized the mythical imagination of cultures the world over, appearing as a sort of spirit messenger, a bridge between the mundane and extraordinary. In Japanese culture, foxes (kitsune) appear prominently as spirit messengers of the God (or Goddess, depending on the depiction) Inari Ōkami, the Kami of rice, sake, tea, fertility, and general prosperity. In one legend, the God Inari descended to Japan riding the back of a white fox. White foxes act as her messenger, and are her dedicated servants.
Shines to Inari appear everywhere throughout Japan. They are characterized by the red Tori gates that often appear in photographs of the Japanese landscape and temples, as well as shrines within these gates depicting statues of Foxes. The spread of Inari-worship is largely credited to the Buddhist monk Kukai, who chose Inari to be the guardian protector of his To-ji temple. Himself one of the most important and influential Buddhist monks (and philosophers) of Japanese history, Kukai's choice had widespread influence on Japanese society. Even today, some modern groups such as the Japanese company Shiseido, patronize Inari (including with a shrine to the Kami on their company headquarter's roof).
In a slightly cuter story, some people might recognize the word Inari from the sushi set-piece, a vinegar rice ball covered in a sweet, brown, fried tofu coat. The reason these little tofu balls are called Inari is that according to legends the fox spirits which serve Inari like the taste of tofu. So, farmers took to leaving these little tofu dishes out in order to try and tempt the good-fortune bringing spirits to visit their farms. In time, people stared to call the dish Inari after the fox spirits to whom they were dedicated.
Of course, none of that background information is needed in order to want to see Miyagi Zao Fox village. Its enough that foxes are, themselves, adorable and beautiful creatures, and to have the chance to interact with a whole community of (relatively) tame Foxes is extremely rare!
It takes nearly two hours to get to Miyagi Zao Fox village from Nagai. When you finally arrive at the little fox village and head to entrance to pay for your ticket, one of the first things that catches the attention are the cute (but disturbing) cartoons depicting all the Do's and Do-Not's of the village. The main take away from these deceptively cute images is that the Foxes can and *will* bite you if given the opportunity. They will also not miss the opportunity to steal your expensive phone or camera gear, break it, and bury it somewhere on the premises. Those wishing to avoid such fates are advised to kindly keep their distance from the foxes, keep a close eye on their belongings, and not attempt to touch them.
Inside the Fox village, you step first into a sort of fox holding area that isn't yet the main "village". Here, the foxes are all in cages, or being treated by their handlers. It's not exactly clear why some of these foxes are being isolated from the others, but for some visitors, this first exhibit can damper their mood. While I personally wasn't bothered by the sight since all of the foxes looked happy and healthy to me, others, who feel that foxes should be allowed to roam free at all times, have found themselves disheartened from the get go.
Once you enter the actual fox village, however, you are treated to the sight of a large gated area in which foxes of all sizes and colors are allowed to run around freely. Of course, the majority of the foxes are not actually running around. They lead a comfortably lazy life, and are more likely to be seen sauntering or sleeping (or biting overly-ambitious tourists). This is where the fox village really takes off.