 Kitsunetsuki ( Japanese : <unk> , <unk> ) , also written kitsune @-@ <unk> , literally means " the state of being possessed by a fox " . The victim is usually a young woman , whom the fox enters beneath her <unk> or through her breasts . In some cases , the victims ' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox . Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read . Though foxes in folklore can possess a person of their own will , kitsunetsuki is often attributed to the <unk> intents of hereditary fox employers , or <unk> @-@ <unk> . 
