Japan is home to two red fox subspecies: the Hokkaido fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) and the Japanese red fox( Vulpes vulpes japonica).
Foxes and human beings lived close together in ancient Japan; this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as its messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance. The more tails a kitsune has—they may have as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential
power and influence, some people make offerings to them as to a deity.
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