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Obake Series: Tanuki

Started by tofugu · 1 year ago

Before we get started with this long overdue article, let’s take a small quiz. No cheating!

Tanuki are: A) Badgers, B) Raccoons, C) Wolverines, D) Raccoon dogs

Here’s a tanuki macro to help you out:
The word tanuki is often mistranslated as “raccoon” or “badger”. By looking at them, though, you can ... Continue reading »

41 comments

  • Viet

    1 year ago

    Oh man... Tanukis must have a bad case of smelling like sweaty balls.
    reply
  • kevinnwhat

    1 year ago

    -.- i agree
    reply
  • Fredy

    1 year ago

    I got the right answer. I could also tell it was Erin writing but confirmed because it says so on top. :D Tofugu is strangely informative. Hope the semester gets better! Hope Spring Break is going well for everyone. Are the actual creatures that exagerated in terms of their anatomy? That'd be wierd in real life. Also Erin, the only other references to genetelia is from that Pikachu article. haha. I wasn't necesarrily thinking "Oh man, there goes Erin again."
    reply
  • クリス

    1 year ago

    I couldn't help but let out a couple snickers of laughter in the library while reading this article. Before I even finished reading it, I already knew this had to be written by Erin, haha. At least this explains when those animals in the commercial have enormous testicles. I wish our human anatomy were that versatile as the tanuki. Also, I chose D before I read. Credit for my correct answer goes to ハロモニ＠ [Yes, I enjoy モーニング娘。but I am far from a ヲタ].

    FYI: The YouTube video you embedded no longer works.
    reply
  • クリス

    1 year ago

    Excuse the reply to my own post, but wasn't there an edit option for our posts? I just noticed a typo as I went over my post. "...explains when..." should have been "...explains why..."

    That is all, haha. Off to class...
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    Are the italics in this post bothering anyone else?
    reply
  • クリス

    1 year ago

    I didn't notice them the first time I read through the article. Maybe a bold style would be more fitting?
    reply
  • Ian

    1 year ago

    Very enjoyable; Tofugu does well with being fun and (strangely) informative.
    The italics were not of much bother to me.
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    Strangely informative.

    I like it :D
    reply
  • Ian

    1 year ago

    Maybe "strangely" isn't really a good descriptor to have used;


    but don't worry, I mean only good things! ( :
    reply
  • BiZhu

    1 year ago

    The video is already unavailable?!
    I still don't understand where this exaggeration of the "kintama" comes from <.<
    Japan is so extreme some times XD;
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    I replaced the video link; try it now!
    reply
  • koichi

    1 year ago

    I love the painting of the tanuki pwning some cranes with his huge balls. wow.
    reply
  • kevinnwhat

    1 year ago

    lmao, that just made me day hahahah. I didnt even realize those were his balls, haha
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    In the picture next to that one, the tanuki on the right has his tucked over the waist of his hakama. It kind of looks like a huge beer belly... but it's not.
    reply
  • SimonVaillancourt

    1 year ago

    Isn't the "racoon" form in Super Mario 3 called Tanuki Mario ? Yeah I'm old .... LOL
    reply
  • クリス

    1 year ago

    Hmm, now I'm questioning whether or not he swings his tail or his '金玉' while attacking in the tanuki suit...
    reply
  • SimonVaillancourt

    1 year ago

    Must be with his nuts yeah.
    reply
  • eLsa

    1 year ago

    gosh. o__O They're scarier than any folktale creature I've ever come across.
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    Definitely check the rest of the tanuki paintings out here:

    http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/raccoon%20Dogs%...
    reply
  • Lisa

    1 year ago

    About time this article came out!! :D
    "On a related note, I wonder how raccoon dog tastes…"
    Aww don't say that! ><
    Raccoon dogs look so different from the American raccoon! (that I've occasionally seen around campus..)
    Mmm I really like the new layout :)
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    I like the new layout, too!
    reply
  • Ryan

    1 year ago

    The real tanuki are so cute!!! I would love to have one as a pet. The way that the japanese depict them in their stories though made me blush a little... I only realized last year that those things were really giant testicles.
    reply
  • Tokidoki

    1 year ago

    Just discovered this crazy yet interesting site!
    Just subscribed to your RSS.
    イタリアのピサからのジョーです！
    （うん、斜塔の町です）
    よろしく！
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    I love having new visitors!
    reply
  • BoredGirl

    1 year ago

    im with tokidoki, i luvs me this site.

    its fun. :D
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    I'm glad!

    Thanks for your support.
    reply
  • Sougen02

    1 year ago

    The part (:25-:26) I would see everywhere on foums as an icon or something Lol Now i know where it came form xD
    reply
  • heartlessangel

    1 year ago

    wow kinda creepy
    reply
  • mmnessa

    1 year ago

    that video really threw me off...
    reply
  • Sougen02

    1 year ago

    The beginning, you a see a cute little girl and expect the commercial to be...I don't know, G rated. xD
    If I were to see that on TV one afternoon, I really know know what I would think.
    Little Red Riding Hood shall never be looked at the same way again folks!

    just kidding 8)
    reply
  • Digger

    1 year ago

    Please continue to blog about Japanese wildlife and other natural-science related topics!
    reply
  • Tofugu_Erin

    1 year ago

    Thanks for the feedback! It's good to know what people find interesting. I will definitely try--keep checking back! We should all be posting more once finals are over.
    reply
  • Peggy

    1 year ago

    So cute you could die. Petromys momonga is a real animal. A silver and white flying squirrel (called the Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel.) I'm guessing that "Momo" of Samurai Champloo belongs to this species.

    <img src="http://web.travel.rakuten.co.jp/HOTEL/5515/5515_zoo.jpg" />

    <img src="http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/lex_exotics/Japdwarfflyingsq.jpg" />
    reply
  • lulu

    1 year ago

    aww sooo cute and lol to the video the tanuki was soo random
    reply
  • emiko

    1 year ago

    The tanuki at the top are so cute! They are my second favorite animal now, right under pandas. I love pandas!
    reply
  • emiko

    1 year ago

    everyone in my class sys that the tanuki is just a racoon ;-;
    reply
  • Ana_chan

    10 months ago

    Heh, that was a cool article! I really like your style.

    I agree with the "strangely informative" concept even though me thinks some of us must have encountered brilliant *and* genitalia-obsessed cultures before--I mean, look at Greek art, it's all about proportion. Or not. Now, who'd like to study the cause-effect relationship of "brilliant and genitalia-obsessed cultures"? I think I'm getting side-tracked here.

    So yes, your article was really informative because as an outsider of the Japanese culture, I tend to absorb as much information as I can (yeah, go ahead and call me Sponge Bob).

    Thanks for preventing my sounding like an utter moron in Japanese society!
    reply
  • Drewkulele

    9 months ago

    FWIW, I came across a page somewhere online that translates and explains that odd TV commercial, above, with Little Red Riding Hood and the animals. Check it out:

    http://home.tampabay.rr.com/starchsr/anabuki.htm
    reply
  • Quintera (Pummy)

    9 months ago

    Konnichi wa,
    Genki desu ka? Sugoi, Ganbatte.
    Mata ne.
    reply
  • Quintera (Pummy)

    9 months ago

    hello, good afternoon.
    your website is great. i am a new person to your web site. i found you on youtube and i just wanted to check you out. i have only begun studying japenese. i think it is an awsome culture. i just came by to say cool and keep up the good work. thats all. ^.^ see ya
    reply

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