Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kozōzu, Yellow Fox
Category: Fox
The Myth
Ouzousu is a supernatural shapeshifting fox from Kaga, known for disguising itself as a Buddhist monk and engaging travellers in strange conversations. It inhabits the sandy Nanatsukubo area, a difficult stretch of land where shifting sand, scorching summer heat, pine needles, snow, and strong winds made journeys exhausting. The region was frequently visited by Zen monks travelling to temples in Noto, and the fox was said to have become familiar with Buddhist teachings through listening to their discussions.
In the late autumn of the An’ei era, a monk from the Kanto region stopped to rest beneath an old pine tree at Nanatsukubo. When he awoke, he discovered another monk beside him. The two began discussing Buddhist teachings, but their conversation quickly became an argument about suspicion, enlightenment, and the relationship between actions and their consequences. The stranger spoke confidently about Zen philosophy, even challenging the Kanto monk with ideas resembling the famous tale of Hyakujo’s wild fox. Their debate grew increasingly hostile, with the Kanto monk demanding to know the stranger’s religious master and lineage. When the stranger declared that he had neither received the Dharma nor inherited a teaching, the Kanto monk insulted him, calling him worse than a dog.
Suddenly, the strange monk’s expression changed, and he began looking around in alarm. The Kanto monk casually placed his foot against the pine tree and urinated, frightening the stranger so badly that he cried out and leapt several metres backwards. He then transformed into a beast and fled into the pine forest. Later, another monk identified the creature as Kozōzu, a yellow fox that had lived in the area for many years. The fox had mistaken the Kanto monk for a dog in disguise and fled in terror. Its familiarity with Zen teachings was attributed to the many Buddhist monks who passed through Nanatsukubo, whose conversations the fox had apparently learned to imitate.
Sources
“王蔵主 (Ouzousu).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1058514117.html