The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Kojoro-gitsune (Female Fox) Disguised as Omiki in the Play Komachi-mura Shibai no Shogatsu, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1789 c. 1789

Katsukawa Shun'ei captured Segawa Kikunojo III in 1789, immortalizing his role as a fox spirit in a woodblock print. The actor's pose, with hands delicately poised, suggests the cunning and grace associated with fox spirits in Japanese folklore. The fox, or kitsune, is a creature of duality, a messenger of the gods Inari, but also a trickster, often depicted in disguise. Here, the flowering plum branch behind the figure symbolizes resilience and the coming of spring, subtly contrasting with the fox spirit's deceptive nature. We see echoes of similar transformative figures in other traditions, such as the shape-shifting deities of ancient Greece. This theme of transformation and hidden identity resonates deeply, perhaps tapping into our own subconscious anxieties about deception. The print evokes not just a visual representation, but a deep, emotional recognition of the complex interplay between appearance and reality. As we move through time, the fox spirit continues to reappear in various forms—sometimes as a benevolent guardian, other times as a malevolent phantom—its essence forever imprinted on our collective cultural memory.