According to Shinto tradition, kitsune (fox in Japanese) is a magical being, a messenger to Inari, the Shinto kami of rice and agriculture. The shrines dedicated to Inari are always guarded by at least a pair of statues representing kitsune, and sometimes they are also decorated with many other kitsune statues, which are believed to ward off evil spirits.

Some shrines have their own particular representation, some of them strongly stylized, such as the ones in today’s photo, from the Hikan Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, which are manually painted for greater individuality.

Hikan Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: The Prince Shotoku Hall of the Narita-san Shinsho-ji