Join Emily Zarka, Ph.D. on a journey to discover humans’ unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature and film.
Curated by: Storied (119 videos)
Why is the Kitsune Japan's most enduring yokai? This video examines 2,500 years of folklore, religion, history, and pop culture to explain how the legendary shape-shifting fox became Japan's most influential supernatural figure—and why its stories continue to thrive today. ***** PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateStoried ***** Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka Creative Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka Producer: Thomas Fernandes Editor/Animator: Ben Harrison Editor/Animator: Steven Simone Illustrator: Samuel Allan Consultants: Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Assistant Director of Programming (PBS): John Campbell Additional Footage: Shutterstock Music: APM Music Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monstrumpbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bibliography Andrews, Elizabeth. Kitsune: Japan’s Shapeshifting Tricksters. Pop, 2022. Bathgate, Michael. The Fox’s Craft in Japanese Religion and Folklore: Shapeshifters, Transformations and Duplicities. Routledge, 2004. Davisson, Zack. Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai: Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Other Creepy Creatures from Japan. Tuttle Publishing, 2024. Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. University of California Press, 2015. Hart, Carina, and Yiyin Lyu. “Moral Extremes and Suprahuman Potentialities in Tales and Adaptations of the East Asian Folkloric Fox Spirit.” Marvels & Tales [Detroit], vol. 39, no. 2, January 2025, pp. 219–35. Hisano, Masumi, et al. “Red Foxes in Japan Show Adaptability in Prey Resource According to Geography and Season: A Meta‐analysis.” Ecological Research, vol. 37, no. 2, 2021, pp. 197–214. Kinoshita, Masami. Japanese Yokai Handbook: A Guide to the Spookiest Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Evil Creatures from Japanese Folklore. Tuttle Publishing, 2023. Martin, Bradley K. "In Japan, being Foxy Isn't quite the Same as it is in America --- Richer Families are Haunted by Fox-Owning Folklore; the Role of the Exorcist." Wall Street Journal, 09 May, 1984. Masanobu, Kagawa. “‘Foxy Lady, Foxy Yokai’: How Japan’s ‘Kitsune’ Bewitched the World.” Nippon.com, 12 April 2023. Matsuura, Thersa. The Book of Japanese Folklore: An Encyclopedia of the Spirits, Monsters, and Yokai of Japanese Myth: The Stories of the Mischievous Kappa, Trickster Kitsune, Horrendous Oni, and More. Adams Media, 2024. Serizawa, Satohiro, and Soichiro Sunami. “World Heritage Site as the Place for Education: The Case of the Gango-Ji Temple in Japan.” Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 8, no. 4, 2019, pp. 454–462. Smyers, Karen A. The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. University of Hawaii Press, 1999. Unsriana, Linda, and Felita Euginia. “Anthropomorphism of the Character Kitsune in Mukashi Banashi.” Izumi, vol. 13, no. 1, June 2024, pp. 23–38. Yoda, Hiroko, and Matt Alt. Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. Tuttle Pub., 2012. Young, Dieynaba. “Ancient Japanese Stone Said to Contain ‘Demon’ Cracks Open.” Smithsonian Magazine, 15 March 2022.