Yosha Bunko

Tokyo nichinichi shinbun
No. 909   1875-1-17 (no seal)
Man becomes tanuki

Story translation (partial)

A tanuki changing into a human does not warrant suspicion, though a human changing into a tanuki, pretending to be the popular Buddha of eye-disease recovery, darkens the eyes of stupid folk. . . . . Requesting at Yakushido an incantation for a rare disease [contracted] from a spirit was the daughter of a certain farmer of Yokose village in the Chichibu district of Bushu, to whose side, every night, came a beautiful young man -- a human or a tanuki? -- a tanuki or a human? . . . .

By Tentendo Shujin

[Translated by William Wetherall]

tanuki reflects 狸 (tanuki), which is usually translated "raccoon dog" -- and indeed it somewhat differs from what North Americans, say, would call a raccoon or badger. A tanuki is one of the most popular and lovable characters in Japanese folklore, where it is simple-minded, full of fun and mischief, and capable of assuming various guises.

The tanuki spirit shown on the print has a longer snout and leaner body than the cute pot-bellied clay and wood effigies at temples and eateries all over the country. The statues are wildly popular as souvenirs and come in all sizes.

A small plaster tanuki -- with a conical sedge hat, huge testicles, a jug of sake and an empty purse -- sits among some rocks immediately beside the front door of this writer's home -- pretending to safeguard the house, its owner, and his meager possessions -- as he endures the sun, wind, rain and snow, shouts of "Kawaiiiii!" from neighborhood kids, and an occasional squirt from a cat who confuses him for a urinal.