Billy. Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 In the eyes of every farmer, gamekeeper and poultry owner, I've turned my back on them. I've taken everything I've believed in for years and thrown it all out the window.... I'm currently travelling Japan and I took a day out to visit a small town called Zaō in the north of the country. A twenty minute drive into the mountains takes you to a small village. More specifically, a fox village. This place is home to hundreds of free roaming foxes, which have very little fear of humans, all under the careful control of a sanctuary. So, obviously I took the opportunity to shoot whichever one got within range. ...With my camera It's said to be the only fox village in the world. It's an incredible sight to see. Fear not though, I won't be defecting to LACS any time soon The offer to have a ten minute 'cuddle' with a more docile fox was on offer, but I know how hard it is to get the stench off you. So I watched the other visitors learn this lesson for themselves. Feel free to print off the photos and use them as targets I just thought the forum might appreciate something a little different, especially given how rare it is to get this close to a living fox for a photo. As there was some interest in a photography thread, all these photos were taken on my iPhone 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essex Keeper Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Cracking photos fella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedsanity Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 very cool pictures dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbird Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Dare I say that the one third from the bottom is cute!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Great photos. Foxes or as they`re known in Japan, kitsune, have a big place in Japanese mythology. They`re regarded as magical creatures with the ability to take human form, often, but not always depicted as tricksters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 What do they live on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Nice pictures Billy. In my eyes, every animal should be respected in it's own right, but some need controlling more than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 What do they live on? There were a lot of caged rabbits there. Aside from that, you can buy a bag of pellets (unknown ingredients) to feed them. I'd never have got them to pose without something to keep them near me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 cracking photos of a beautiful animal, the second from last actually looks japanese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 cracking photos of a beautiful animal, the second from last actually looks japanese They're actually known as 'smiling foxes'. The closed eyes and hint of a smile is actually how they look most of the time when they're sat still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foosa Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Well well, would you look at that, I never knew there was such a place. Truly amazing, and some cracking photos there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 They're actually known as 'smiling foxes'. The closed eyes and hint of a smile is actually how they look most of the time when they're sat still. brilliant thats cos their happy cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I love their thick jackets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I knew that they had a cat island a rabbit island and a deer village, but I'd never heard of this one. Incredible photos. Hard to believe it's a phone camera, but I have the same phone myself and the photos it is capable of taking are superb. Although I've never taken any as good as the selection you have here, the content, light and colours are fabulous. How long are you out there for, Japan is a country I really want to visit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Cracking photos They are awesome looking animals, but I never think twice about dropping one to the floor given the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 hello billy, as teal mentioned it was a country i thought to visit some years back but never did, if allowed would be nice to see some more photos of where you visit. best wishes oldy pp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshMike Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Gorgeous. They are lovely creatures in the right environment. Despite shooting foxes I still love watching them and you cant help but admire them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) I'm out here for 22 days. I went to Japan on a bit of a bit of a drunken decision. I sold my flat and said to myself that I'd use some of the money to treat myself and tick off a few items on the bucket list. When you start planning a trip like this, it actually gets pretty daunting when you read how much it costs, the customs and language barrier. I nearly cancelled the trip in all honesty, after trying to get my plans put in place. In short. It's probably the best country I've visited. The reason behind this really lays with the general Japanese culture of 'put others before you'. This even extends to not even complaining about things, as this would burden the person you're talking to with your troubles. So everyone just gets on with life rather than whinging like us Brits! It's the tidiest country I've ever set foot in, but you rarely find a bin. Everyone queues nicely. The trains are unbelievable. Puts even the Swiss to shame. It's not that expensive here. I'm currently sat in a restaurant and I've had sashimi, nigiri and a huge squid, plus five pints and the bill is under £20. I could honestly go on all day about how amazing this place is, but the one trick to having a good time here is to make sure you make the most of it. Be strict and get yourself up in the mornings and do things. Avoid group tours and just go it alone. Also, get a JR Pass. It's a rail pass for the bullet train, but you can't buy it in Japan. It's for tourists only. Mine cost £250 for two weeks unlimited travel. One return Tokyo - Osaka can cost that and I've done that trip twice now. PM me if you need any further advice on going. I'm more than happy to help anyone out. A great YouTube channel to watch is AbroadInJapan by this English guy who is a teacher out here. Here's a bonus couple of photos from Nara park, where Sika deer roam free and come and eat crackers from your hand. Edited January 20, 2016 by Billy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misser Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 the fox is without doubt a beautiful animal.....good pics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangBangNik Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 Excellent pics. I've always said that a fox is a truley stunning animal. Just a shame they can do so much damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remmy1100 Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 cracking pictures and not a chicken coup in sight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshMike Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I think that there must be a lot of farmers in Japan who must be torn between respecting the spiritual beliefs and coping with the huge amount of damage that the deer and boar are causing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 The first fox picture is truly beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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