Winter in Japan. The weather outside may make it seem like you should stay at home and curl up under a ton of blankets but there are some things well worth leaving your warm apartment to see. The Zao Fox Village is one of them.



Up in the Zao Mountains of Tohoku, there is a small animal enclosure that is home to scores of kitsune, which is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes may be wild but here they look like they are in their natural environment. They sit on the snow-covered snow, sunbathing with their eyes half-closed. They follow visitors around in the hopes that they will give them snacks. They play with each other and they fight over a single bite of food. Their fur is red or sometimes silver, even white. The ones with the atypically coloured fur look so much like dogs you might be tempted to pat them on the head. Don't, however : you never know how they might react!





Apart from the large open-air enclosure where most of the foxes live there is one for their cubs nearby. There is also an area where different species are kept separately. Here you can see arctic foxes, the fluffiest, cutest animals you can imagine. There are also rabbits, ponies, raccoon dogs (tanuki). A wounded animal may be kept separately from the rest. For a while a female called Nori, who had recently lost her young, was kept by the entrance. 

One of the cutest sights in the Fox Village is the small Inari Shrine, with its fox sculptures flanking the entrance. If you are lucky you will find one of the animals sleeping under its likeness in stone, or standing by the red torii gate as if to guard the place.





Winter is the best time to visit; the animals have their thick, winter coat on and they look much cuter curled up on the white snow. Take the Shinkansen from Ueno to Shiroishi Zao and then a taxi from the station to the fox village. Be careful not to bring any food in with you as that would put you and your company in danger. If you really want to feed the animals you can purchase some food at the ticket counter and give it to them at the designated area. There is a reason for all the precautions: apart from the pain of a potential bite, you can also contract some very unpleasant conditions. So along with your love for foxes bring your good sense and you will make the best of your visit!

Information

The Zao Fox Village 
Website: http://zao-fox-village.com/en
Address: 11-3 Kawarago, Fukuokayatsumiya Shiroishi-shi, Miyagi 989-0733 
Hours: 9:00 ~ 16:00
Open everyday
Admission: Adults (13 plus) 1000 yen, Children (12 and under) Free

Google Map: 

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