The Fox's Wedding
17 Jan 2014 | From Nanami of Japan
OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING
The Kitsune no Yomeiri ("the fox's wedding") is a strange event told about in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The "kitsune no yomeiri" can refer to several things: atmospheric ghost lights, a phenomena during which it appears as if paper lanterns from a wedding procession are floating through the dark; what is commonly referred to as a sunshower; and various strange wedding processions that can be seen in classical Japanese kaidan, essays, and legends. The "kitsune no yomeiri" is always closely related to foxes (who often play tricks on humans in Japanese legend) and various Shinto rituals and festive rights relating to the "kitsune no yomeiri" have been developed in various parts of Japan.
Fox's weddings were not merely phenomena of nature, but also things that were actually seen in the old literature of the Edo Period as well as various legends depending on the area. A retelling of the legend appeared in Tales of Old Japan by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford. You can read the story of the fox's wedding here.
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