Who Is The Trickster?
An Edo townsman who tricked a trickster fox
The Man Who Out-Tricks the Fox (Oji no Kitsune)
The Trickster is the hero of the classic rakugo tale Oji no Kitsune ("The Fox of Oji"), an Edo townsman who sees a fox transform into a young woman and turns the tables by tricking the fox instead. He is sly but faint-hearted, and the way he quickly turns pale makes audiences laugh.
In Episode 8, near the Inari shrine in Oji, he calls out "Otama!" to the fox disguised as a young woman and invites her to a restaurant. He gets the fox drunk on food and sake until she falls asleep, then leaves first, saying "My companion will pay the bill," and even has souvenirs wrapped up for himself. Later, an acquaintance warns him, "Foxes hold grudges. You'll be cursed," so he goes to apologize, bringing botamochi (sweet rice cakes). The restaurant is often said to be Ogiya in Oji.
