Kuzunoha 葛の葉

Kuzunoha (葛の葉) is one of the most beloved Kitsune (fox spirits) in Japanese history—a white fox who chose to become human for love, eventually becoming the mother of the legendary wizard Abe no Seimei.

Meaning and Origin

The name Kuzunoha means “Kudzu Leaves” or “Arrowroot Leaf.”

The legend dates back to the Heian period (10th century) and is centered in the Shinoda Forest of Osaka. Unlike many malevolent fox spirits, Kuzunoha is a Zenko (good fox), a divine messenger of the god Inari. Her story is a pillar of Japanese folklore, celebrated in countless Kabuki and Bunraku plays, and she remains a symbol of maternal sacrifice and undying devotion.

Characteristics

Kuzunoha is a Byakko (White Fox), a high-ranking spirit with powerful magic. In human form, she is described as a woman of peerless beauty, grace, and intelligence.

Despite her mastery of transformation, she struggled to maintain her human form as she aged, or when her animal instincts were triggered. In many artistic depictions, she is shown in a beautiful kimono, but with the tip of a white fox tail or the shadow of a fox visible in a mirror or on a sliding door (shoji).

Legends

The tale begins when a nobleman named Abe no Yasuna saves a white fox from a hunter in the Shinoda Forest. To thank him, the fox transforms into a woman named Kuzunoha and nurses him back to health. They fall in love, marry, and have a son named Dōji (who would grow up to be Abe no Seimei).

The tragedy occurs when their son is five years old. Kuzunoha is accidentally seen in her fox form—perhaps while napping or watching flowers. Realizing she can no longer hide her spirit nature, she must leave her human family forever. She leaves a famous poem on the shoji before vanishing: “If you love me, come and see me… in the woods of Shinoda, the leaf of the kudzu.” Her son’s legendary magical powers were said to be a direct gift from his mother’s supernatural bloodline.