The Magic Fox of Three Countries (Lady Kayō Flies to the Eastern Sky) – Utagawa Kuniyoshi Print

The Magic Fox of Three Countries (Sangoku Yōko Zue, 三国妖狐図会) is one of the most dramatic kitsune prints ever made. Designed by Utagawa Kuniyoshi around 1850, it captures the climax of a legend that fascinated Edo Japan: the story of a nine-tailed fox demon who brought ruin to the courts of India, China and Japan.

The cartouche tells the scene: Lady Kayō, the old fox, reveals her true form and flies away to the eastern sky. In the Indian chapter of the legend, the fox has taken the shape of Lady Kayō, a consort of irresistible beauty who drives her prince to cruelty. Unmasked at last, she sheds her human disguise. Kuniyoshi shows the very moment of her escape: the golden fox, her many tails streaming behind her and still tangled in the robes of her human form, soars through a swirl of smoke, while a warrior lunges after her in vain and the courtiers below look up in terror. She flies east, toward China, and ultimately toward Japan, where she will become the infamous Tamamo-no-Mae.

Bold colours, a daring diagonal composition and an explosion of movement: this is Kuniyoshi at his theatrical best, and a striking statement piece for any lover of Japanese art and folklore.

High-definition art print of The Magic Fox of Three Countries

• ✓ Thick, matte, museum-quality paper
• ✓ Printed from ultra-high-definition images
• ✓ Restored colours, faithful to the original woodblock print
• ✓ Fast worldwide shipping in a protective cardboard tube

Our prints are available in a wide range of sizes, which you can choose from the drop-down menu. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need any advice.

Styling tip: its deep blues, reds and golds look superb in a slim black or natural wood frame. For a kitsune gallery wall, pair it with Yoshitoshi's The Cry of the Fox, or explore our full collection of yokai art prints.

About Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e. Famous for his warriors, heroes and supernatural creatures, he brought a new sense of drama and imagination to Japanese woodblock prints. His giant skeletons, sea monsters and shape-shifting foxes remain some of the most spectacular images of yokai ever created.