Bishamon

**Bishamon Kagami** (Japanese: **毘沙門鏡**, *Bishamon Kagami*) is one of Kushinada's Sacred Treasure.

## Appearance

Bishamon is a fox girl of above average height. She has midback-length blonde-brown hair; sticking straight up her head is a cowlick that is sometimes used to express emotion. The bottom edges of her ears have small tufts of hair sticking out where they meet her head. They have pinkish-red eyes to somewhat match Her Excellency.

She commonly wears a sleeveless kimono with a yellow haori used as an off shoulder jacket. And like the others, she wears white *tabi* socks and yellow *zouri* sandals.

## Personality

Bishamon is usually a very composed, apparently very cold, calculating and sometimes even cruel woman but she is kind, brave in reality as she is willing to help those in need for as long as they are humans. She is also very smart and knowledgeable. But it is only because of her beauty that she is sought after by many men who wish to make her their wife.

Bishamon and Kushinada have similar personalities, but Bishamon doesn't mind shedding blood and has no remorse, which was shown when she cuts off a Yokai's head, not at least bit concerned with the blood on her face as she proceeded to cut up the Yokai some more. However, her father stopped her.

Bishamon tends to be cunning and sly as well as seemingly unaware of her own attractiveness but knows when to use her charms and beautiful appearance when necessary to do so. She has a tendency to mock others due to her not being able to trust others that easily, such as at the beginning of the series where she said that there was no way a human girl like Kushinada-hime Amaterasu could be a god. She was very cold and condescending towards Kushinada at first, but eventually warmed up to her and fell in love with her over time. Bishamon is extremely powerful and is capable of using kitsunebi, or fox-fire as well as using enchanted leaves to transform or control others.

she has a short temper, often shouting or telling Kushinada off for being late home or for being clumsy, and is also quite straightforward and blunt, telling Kushinada that she is annoying when she asked her about it one day. However, she has a strong sense of loyalty and pride, as well as very protective towards those she cares about.

## Relationships

**Kushinada-hime Amaterasu**: Bishamon cares greatly for Her Excellency. She is immensely loyal to her and wishes to protect her. However, she is willing to confront her if necessary, for her own sake or for the sake of her fellow treasures. Kushinada, in turn, seems to view her as an equal instead of a subordinate, asking her for advice and considering and valuing her opinion. She is also very precious to her because she is one of her blessed Sacred Treasure

* Interestingly enough, the books hint that at some point romantic feelings she had towards her master, from the incredibly interesting background she has on her cellphone to becoming ballistic should say master ever disappear. She is also shown to be protective of her and goes as far as to kill one of the other Treasures to preserve her health.

## History

### Inari Okami Origins

The origin of Inari worship is not entirely clear. The first recorded use of the present-day *kanji* (*characters*) of Inari's name, which mean "carrying rice", (literally "rice load") was in the *Ruijū Kokushi* in 892 AD. Other sets of *kanji* with the same phonetic readings, most of which contained a reference to rice, were in use earlier, and most scholars agree that the name *Inari* is derived from *ine-nari* (*growing rice*) (稲成り). The worship of Inari is known to have existed as of 711 AD, the official founding date of the shrine at Inari Mountain in Fushimi, Kyoto. Scholars such as Kazuo Higo believe worship was conducted for centuries before that date; they suggest that the Hata clan began the formal worship of Inari as an agriculture *kami* in the late fifth century. The name Inari does not appear in classical Japanese mythology.

By the Heian period, Inari worship began to spread. In 823 AD, after Emperor Saga presented the Tō-ji temple to Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon Buddhist sect, the latter designated Inari as its resident protector *kami*. In 827, the court granted Inari the lower fifth rank, which further increased the deity's popularity in the capital. Inari's rank was subsequently increased, and by 942, Emperor Suzaku granted Inari the top rank in thanks for overcoming rebellions. At this time, the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine was among the twenty-two shrines chosen by the court to receive imperial patronage, a high honor. The second Inari shrine, Takekoma Inari, was established in the late ninth century.

Inari's popularity continued to grow. The Fushimi shrine, already a popular pilgrimage site, gained wide renown when it became an imperial pilgrimage site in 1072. By 1338, the shrine's festival was said to rival the Gion Festival in splendor.

In 1468, during the Ōnin War, the entire Fushimi shrine complex was burned. Rebuilding took about thirty years; the new building was consecrated in 1499. While the old complex had enshrined three *kami* in separate buildings, the new one enshrined five *kami* in a single building. The new shrine also included a Buddhist temple building for the first time, and the hereditary priesthood was expanded to include the Kada clan.
Statue of a *kitsune* adorned with a red votive bib in a shrine at Inuyama Castle. Many castles in Japan contain Inari shrines.

During the Edo period, Inari worship spread across Japan; it became especially prominent in Edo. Smyers attributes this spread to the movement of *daimyōs* (feudal lords). Inari had by the sixteenth century become the patron of blacksmiths and the protector of warriors—for this reason, many castle compounds in Japan contain Inari shrines—and the *daimyōs* took their belief in their protector *kami* with them when they relocated to a new domain. Inari's divine role continued to expand; on the coast, they became a protector of fishermen; in Edo, they were invoked to prevent fires. They became the patron of actors and of prostitutes, since their shrines were often found near the pleasure quarters where these individuals lived. They began to be worshipped as the *Desire-Fulfilling Inari*, a deity of luck and prosperity; a common saying in Osaka was *Byō Kōbō, yoku Inari* (*For sickness [pray to] Kōbō, for desires [pray to] Inari*). Inari also began to be petitioned for good health; they are credited with curing such diverse afflictions as coughs, toothaches, broken bones, and syphilis. Women prayed to Inari to grant them children.

After a government decree mandated the separation of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, many Inari shrines underwent changes. At Fushimi Inari, for instance, structures that were obviously Buddhist were torn down. Among the populace, however, the blended form of worship continued. Some Buddhist temples, such as Toyokawa Inari, maintained Inari worship by arguing that they had always been devoted to a Buddhist deity (often Dakiniten), which the common folk had mistaken as Inari.

In the Tokugawa period, when money replaced rice as the measure of wealth in Japan, Inari's role as a *kami* of worldly prosperity was expanded to include all aspects of finance, business, and industry. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, followers of Inari at the Ginza mint struck coins meant for offerings to Inari, which featured pictures of two foxes and a jewel or the characters for *long life* and *good luck*.

### Kitsune Origins

Japanese fox legends had their origins in the fox spirit of Chinese mythology, also found in stories throughout East Asia. Folktales of China tell of fox spirits called *húli jīng* (Chinese: 狐狸精) that may have up to nine tails; these were adopted into Japanese culture as *kyūbi no kitsune* ('nine-tailed fox') which is covered in more detail below). Many of the earliest surviving stories are recorded in the *Konjaku Monogatarishū*, an 11th-century Japanese collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian literary narratives.

Smyers (1999) notes that the idea of the fox as seductress and the connection of the fox myths to Buddhism were introduced into Japanese folklore through similar Chinese stories, but she maintains that some fox stories contain elements unique to Japan.

## Abilities

### Strengths

**Shapeshifting**: A *kitsune* may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches a certain age – usually 100 years, although some tales say 50. As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a leaf, or a skull over its head. Common forms assumed by *kitsune* include beautiful women, young girls, elderly men, and less often young boys. These shapes are not limited by the fox's own age or gender, and a *kitsune* can duplicate the appearance of a specific person. *Kitsune* are particularly renowned for impersonating beautiful women. Common belief in medieval Japan was that any woman encountered alone, especially at dusk or night, could be a *kitsune*. *Kitsune-gao* ('fox-faced') refers to human females who have a narrow face with close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. Traditionally, this facial structure is considered attractive, and some tales ascribe it to foxes in human form. Variants on the theme have the *kitsune* retain other foxy traits, such as a coating of fine hair, a fox-shaped shadow, or a reflection that shows its true form.

In some stories, *kitsune* retain – and have difficulty hiding – their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature. A particularly devout individual may even be able to see through a fox's disguise merely by perceiving them. *Kitsune* can also be exposed while in human form by their fear and hatred of dogs, and some become so rattled by their presence that they revert to the form of a fox and flee.

**Trickster**: Kitsune are often presented as tricksters, with motives that vary from mischief to malevolence. Stories tell of kitsune playing tricks on overly proud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful commoners, while the crueler ones abuse poor tradesmen and farmers or devout Buddhist monks. Their victims are usually men; women are possessed instead. For example, kitsune are thought to employ their kitsunebi to lead travelers astray in the manner of a will-o'-the-wisp. Another tactic is for the kitsune to confuse its target with illusions or visions. Other common goals of trickster kitsune include seduction, theft of food, humiliation of the prideful, or vengeance for a perceived slight.

A traditional game called *kitsune-ken* ('fox-fist') references the kitsune's powers over human beings. The game is similar to rock paper scissors, but the three hand positions signify a fox, a hunter, and a village headman. The headman beats the hunter, whom he outranks; the hunter beats the fox, whom he shoots; the fox beats the headman, whom he bewitches.

Kitsune keep their promises and strive to repay any favor. Occasionally a kitsune attaches itself to a person or household, where they can cause all sorts of mischief. In one story from the 12th century, only the homeowner's threat to exterminate the foxes convinces them to behave.

Other kitsune use their magic for the benefit of their companion or hosts as long as the humans treat them with respect. As *yōkai*, however, kitsune do not share human morality, and a kitsune who has adopted a house in this manner may, for example, bring its host money or items that it has stolen from the neighbors. Accordingly, common households thought to harbor kitsune are treated with suspicion. Oddly, samurai families were often reputed to share similar arrangements with kitsune, but these foxes were considered *zenko* and the use of their magic a sign of prestige. Abandoned homes were common haunts for kitsune. One 12th-century story tells of a minister moving into an old mansion only to discover a family of foxes living there. They first try to scare him away, then claim that the house "has been ours for many years, and … we wish to register a vigorous protest." The man refuses, and the foxes resign themselves to moving to an abandoned lot nearby.

Tales distinguish kitsune gifts from kitsune payments. If a kitsune offers a payment or reward that includes money or material wealth, part or all of the sum will consist of old paper, leaves, twigs, stones, or similar valueless items under a magical illusion. True kitsune gifts are usually intangibles, such as protection, knowledge, or long life.