Enchanting snow foxes playing in Miyagis winter wonderland.
Snow foxes playing in the enchanting winter wonderland of Miyagis Zao Fox Village.

Zao Fox Village

At Zao, in Miyagi prefecture, lies the answer to an eternal question: why do we say something is foxy!? With a hundred foxes roaming around, you’ll have an extreme immersion experience.

At Zao, in Miyagi prefecture, lies the answer to an eternal question: why do we say something is foxy!? With a hundred foxes roaming around, you’ll have an extreme immersion experience.

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, religion, religious, shinto, snow, spiritual, tohoku, tori, winter

There’s an Inari shrine in the middle of the village – it’s something else to see foxes passing under the torii. They are of course the messengers of Inari.

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, snow, tohoku, winter

The standard offering for the slinky messengers is sake and rice, but best avoid that here. These cute-looking gluttons will always want more and won’t think twice about nipping your fingers!

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, snow, tohoku, winter

If you’d really like to feed them there’s no problem, as the staff sell croquettes for 100Y which will get you a little closer – but be careful …

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, snow, tohoku, winter

Aren’t they lovable? If you’re interested in foxes, it’s a really worthwhile experience. Imagine being able to observe and even approach them in the wild! I’ve seen them several times (at Gunma, Shikoku, Hokkaido, Nagano …) and each time they were approachable. Probably used to being fed by the locals all over the country.

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, snow, tohoku, winter

As for the smell, how can I describe it? Durians impregnated with ammonia maybe? But that would be fake news, wouldn’t it … 😉

animal, asia, fox, japan, japanese, miyagi, natural, nature, snow, tohoku, winter

Admission isn’t expensive (1,000Y) but the village is quite remote. So you could combine visiting the foxes with Zao ski resort and a wander among the “Snow Monsters” (trees glazed with ice) in the winter months.

Gallerie Photos

For more on the village, there’s a site in English with the latest information here.

And for more awesome content about Japan, follow Jordy Meow on Instagram ! 🎵

Who Am I

Jordy Meow
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I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

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Eternal blue mist, Torii guards the ocean's breath, Whispers from the past.永遠の青霧 鳥居が海の息を守る 過去からのささやき#ToriiSpirit #CoastalJapan #SacredSeas #VolcanicRocks #BlueDusk #offbeatjapan #japan
Scarlet sea of brush, Winding path through fire ablaze, Beneath blue whispers. ---紅色の絨毯、 火に包まれた道、 青空の下。---#HitachiSeasidePark #kochia #floralwonderland #vibrantjapan #offbeatjapan #naturelovers #japan
Winter's hushed embrace, Blue snow hides the sacred glow— Golden lights whisper. ---冬の静けさ 青い雪が隠す 金の灯の囁き---#wintersilence #japanesewinter #shintoshrine #snowymystery #sacredglow #goldenlight #offbeatjapan #japan
Quiet rabbit rests, Moss blankets dreams in sunlight, Echoes of the past. 静かなウサギ、 苔に夢を託し、 過去の声が響く。  #RabbitIsland #Ōkunoshima #NatureLovers #HistoricJapan #MossyDreams #OffbeatJapan #Japan
Orange leaves whisper, Midst shaded greens and shadows— Nature's secret glow.---オレンジの葉 緑と影の中— 自然の秘密の輝き。---#koyo #autumnleaves #forestvibes #naturephotography #offbeatjapan #japan #hiddenbeauty
Sunset paints the sky, Volcanic peak stands aglow— Nature's quiet grace. 日が沈む空、 輝く火山の頂— 自然の静かな恵み。 #offbeatjapan #japan #volcaniclandscape #sunsetglow #naturelovers #ruraljapan #hiddenbeauty #mountainmagic
Graffiti whispers, Youth dance in vivid colors— Tokyo's heart beats on. グラフィティはささやき、 若者が鮮やかな色で踊る— 東京の心が打つ。 #offbeatjapan #tokyostyle #harajuku #japan #streetart #urbanvibes #fashionexpression
Crimson leaf chorus, Amber whispers in the breeze— Momijigari.---紅葉の合唱、 琥珀のささやきが風に乗る— 紅葉狩り。 ---#autumninjapan #momijigari #fallcolors #naturelovers #landscapephotography #offbeatjapan #japan