Near the famous Nasu hot springs in Japan, there is a stone that is rumored to kill anyone who comes in contact with it. In traditional Japanese culture, the kitsune or foxes are frequently depicted as mischievous spirits with shapeshifting powers. The most infamous of such creatures is Tamamo-no-Mae, who took the form of a beautiful woman to seduce the Emperor and become his mistress in the mid-12th century. Legend has it that Tamamo-no-Mae’s true identity was a nine-tailed fox, at least over 2,000 years old at the time. She had seduced several…
