Japanese cheerleaders go viral with fox performance

Foxes play an important role in Japanese folklore, but also in culture. This is reflected in the fact that new Fuchs merchandise always finds enthusiastic buyers. Fox masks and fox weddings on cultural holidays also keep the mythological animals alive.

The animals are also having an increasing influence on modern pop culture and can now also be found on the Internet. The Japanese baseball team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is based on the northernmost island of Hokkaido Prefecture. The Frep the Fox team’s mascot is based on the region’s predominant red Ezo fox.

Fans and opponents celebrate the fox dance

The baseball team’s cheerleaders dedicated a special performance to the team’s love for the fox at the start of the 2022 season. the Fighters-Girls appeared with fuzzy fox ears and chose a song from 2013 as music. “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” comes from the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis and went viral when it was released. Now, thanks to the team, he’s making a comeback.

A cute choreography, together with funny barking and upbeat dance music, not only immediately caused enthusiasm among the spectators on site. Some were so impressed that they wanted to dance themselves. However, the “Kitsune Dansu” (“Fox Dance”) really took off internationally after the video was released on YouTube.

The video first circulated among fans of all Pacific League teams, who also posted it online. The video was broadcast at the stadium during a game against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. There, the spectators were also so moved by the dynamics that they jumped on the dance floor themselves. The players from Hokkaido and even from Fukuoka also got carried away. When popular player Nobuhiro Matsuda incorporated some poses from the dance after hitting a home run, the fans went wild.

A dance goes around the world

The video developed an addictive character that has transcended league boundaries and has captivated baseball fans everywhere. Spectators all over the world are now celebrating the fox dance and are enthusiastic about the special magic of the performance. Some explained that they watch the video every day and just can’t get enough.

In the meantime, mascots from other teams have been infected by the fox dance and are trying to set up similar choreographies. In the last game, Frep the Fox and the Hiroshima Carps mascot, a red squirrel, also performed the kitsune dansu as a cute dance battle before the actual game. After this prelude, the fans were more than well prepared for the fight on the field.

After fans kept asking how the kitsune dansu works properly, Fighters girl Miyu Takiya posted a video explaining how the performance should look like.