Oji Fox Parade: Tokyo’s Magical New Year’s Eve
Most New Year’s Eves find me cozying up at home, but an ancient legend brought me into the chilly Tokyo night. On the last evening of 2019, hundreds of us gathered near Oji Station, not for fireworks, but to follow a procession of foxes to Shozoku Inari Shrine. It was time for the Oji Kitsune-no-Gyoretsu—the Fox Parade—and the air was electric with anticipation.
The legend behind the Oji fox parade
The parade begins at a shrine dedicated to Inari, one of the most important gods in the Shinto pantheon. As the kami of prosperity and good fortune, it’s no surprise that more than one-third of all shrines in Japan are devoted to him.
During the Edo period, Oji Inari Shrine was a designated prayer center. It was an important place of worship. According to tradition, foxes (the servants of the gods) would visit on New Year’s Eve.
The foxes changed into kimonos under a tree and paraded to the shrine. They paid homage to Inari once there. Hiroshige Utagawa, a ukiyo-e artist, made a print about it (see it on the Metropolitan Museum of Art Website).
Legend reborn: The modern parade
Since 1993, local people dressed in kimonos and fox masks have re-enacted that night. They walk from Shozoku Inari Shrine at midnight to Oji Inari Shrine, arriving early on New Year’s Day. I was thrilled to see it, if only for a short time!
I had to leave before the procession reached its final destination at Oji Inari Shrine, but the part I witnessed was pure magic. The silent figures in their fox masks created an unforgettable image. Seeing even a fraction of the parade didn’t feel like a truncated visit. It felt like a powerful preview that made me want to return and walk the entire route. Completing the pilgrimage is now at the top of my list for a future New Year’s Eve!
If you’re looking for a New Year’s Eve that trades loud countdowns for quiet wonder, the Oji Fox Parade is an experience you won’t forget. It’s a beautiful, living piece of folklore. To see more of the god’s messengers, check out my article on , Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin Temple.
My photography gear for this shoot
For those hoping to capture the Oji fox parade, I used my Fujifilm X-T2 with the XF 16-55mm F2.8 lens. The fast aperture was crucial in the low light. I also used a Godox V860II flash to gently freeze the motion of the paraders without ruining the magical atmosphere.
