Zao Fox Village is home to over a hundred free-roaming foxes.
In the land of the rising sun, a rather unusual village has recently been in the news. It’s Zao Kitsune Mura, a village populated by stray foxes in the heart of the Miyagi mountains in northeastern Japan. Nicknamed the Zao Fox Village, its inhabitants are irresistibly cute foxes where six different species of fox run wild and play together to attract your attention and probably to come and ask you for food.
Opened in 1990, this haven of peace is home to more than a hundred free-roaming foxes. For 100 yen (0.74 euros), food is provided to park visitors, who can then get up close and personal with the animals. As is the case in the West, foxes in Japan are regarded as cunning tricksters. However, for some locals, they have a privileged place and are said to possess « mystical powers ». They are also said to be « messengers of Inari », the Shinto deity of fertility, prosperity and rice.
And here’s a video taken in this fox village: