1 Toyo-uke-bime-no-Kami, or Uka-no-mi-tana (who has also eight
other names), is a female divinity, according to the Kojiki and its
commentators. Moreover, the greatest of all Shinto scholars, Hirata,
as cited by Satow, says there is really no such god as Inari-San at
all--that the very name is an error. But the common people have created
the God Inari: therefore he must be presumed to exist--if only for
folklorists; and I speak of him as a male deity because I see him so
represented in pictures and carvings. As to his mythological existence,
his great and wealthy temple at Kyoto is impressive testimony.
2 The white fox is a favourite subject with Japanese artists. Some very
beautiful kakemono representing white foxes were on display at the
Tokyo exhibition of 1890. Phosphorescent foxes often appear in the old
coloured prints, now so rare and precious, made by artists whose names
have become world-famous. Occasionally foxes are represented wandering
about at night, with lambent tongues of dim fire--kitsune-bi--above
their heads. The end of the fox's tail, both in sculpture and drawing,
is ordinarily decorated with the symbolic jewel (tama) of old Buddhist
art. I have in my possession one kakemono representing a white fox with
a luminous jewel in its tail. I purchased it at the Matsue temple of
Inari--'O-Shiroyama-no-Inari-Sama.' The art of the kakemono is clumsy;
but the conception possesses curious interest.
3 The Japanese candle has a large hollow paper wick. It is usually
placed upon an iron point which enters into the orifice of the wick at
the flat end.
4 See Professor Chamberlain's Things Japanese, under the title
'Demoniacal Possession.'