A Tanuki "Family Reunion"

As promised, I will finally explain the tanuki in detail...I only hope I don't break one of Brian's rules since this will entail explaining certain body parts not usually discussed in a public forum!

Sometimes called a "racoon dog," the tanuki is a real, small nocturnal mammal with a pointed muzzle, which resembles a racoon with its rounded ears and dark mask. It is said to date back to when Japan was joined to the mainland, before the ice age. They have also been found in China, Siberia, and Europe.

The tanuki has also been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. There are countless tales about the mischievous tanuki. The legendary tanuki can transform into any living or inanimate shape, but in legend it often assumes the form of a monk or a tea kettle to play tricks on people. Real tanuki live in the lowlands, forests and mountain valleys, and in legends, the mythical tanuki is most often shown playing tricks on hunters and woodsmen. They can cast powerful illusions--they can turn leaves into fake money or horse manure into a delicious-looking dinner.

The tanuki is said to put leaves on its head and to chant prior to transformation. In some legends, the leaf is the sacred lotus plant of Buddhism. It is also believed that tanuki can change leaves into money. Here's a little gaming trivia for you: in the computer game "Super Mario Brothers," when Mario gets a leaf, he gains pointy ears and the tail of a tanuki.

One small ceramic figure of a fat tanuki (not a whole family of them) is often found in the hallways or against the facades of restaurants (especially noodle shops) and sake shops. It stands up on his hind legs and wears a wide-brimmed straw hat hanging down his back. (This photo is an unusual display of numerous tanuki, as it was taken in Seto, where these tanuki were part of the huge pottery sale I visited in September.)

Now the taboo talk...the actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, which has inspired exaggeration in ceramic versions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers' packs, or using them as drums. As tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies, they may be depicted as drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles--a more "PG" version of the tanuki, I suppose.

In one paw he holds an empty sake bottle; in the other he holds an account book--some say it represents his money being wasted on wine and women. Some say the oversized scrotum is due to sexual over-indulgences. But since his penis has disappeared, some say it is a reminder that drink "prevokes the desire, but takes away the performance."

On the other hand, there are other interpretations to the characteristics of the legendary tanuki (see figure with descriptions). But I'm not sure what a "blob" is and what it has to do with being lucky with money...

Either way, I'm feeling particularly generous, so I will offer up a ceramic tanuki as the prize for our long-overdue, next trivia contest! (Stay tuned...I have to think of something trivial. Yes, this may take a while!) And be sure to venture your guesses just the same...you'll find a use for the tanuki, as many people consider them the equivalent of a western garden gnome. I just wish I could be a fly on the wall as you try explaining your tanuki to your neighbors...