The Meaning Behind “The Fox’s Wedding”

“Fox Wedding Procession,” Yamamoto Shoun, early 20th century, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.

In Japanese folklore, “The Fox’s Wedding” refers to a number of natural phenomena, such as sunshowers or ghost lights on the horizon, that are said to be illusions created by mischievous fox spirits. Such myths not only speak to our fascination with the unexplained, but also to the blurred, parallel worlds in which we live—those of fantasy and reality, dream and awakening, past and present, life and death.

While making music, I always wonder, “Are these worlds really so separate?” and “What are the subtle illusions that destabilize our daily realities?”