In Japanese folklore, Japanese raccoon dogs (tanuki) have had a significant role since ancient times. They are reputed to be mischievous and jolly, masters of disguise and shapeshifting but somewhat gullible and absent-minded.

The Tanuki is the subject of innumerable amusing and intriguing myths and folk tales. Often linked with the teakettle because of its pot-bellied appearance, its image is that of a jolly, carousing and womanizing character. Like the Kitsune (red fox) it is a master of shape changing and disguise.

Tanuki - Japan's raccoon dog タヌキ. Racoon dogs, now also known as Asiatic raccoons, are called tanuki in Japan. There are five sub-species of raccoon dog, the Japanese one being known as N. procyonoides viverrinus. Tanuki live in the wild, …

Feb 14, 2012 · Tanuki gao: I like to use my own translation, "puppy-faced," although a tanuki is just a native variant of the "raccoon-dog." A person with this face-type, with softer and more rounded features, tends to come across as sweet, trusting, innocent (perhaps deceptively), perhaps even gullible.

Jun 13, 2023 · Suletta has been likened to a tanuki because of her facial features. Tanuki gao often describes women with rounder faces and more childish features. Suletta also shares a lot of other features that liken her to a tanuki, including droopy eyes, dark skin and big eyebrows.

Feb 5, 2025 · A tanuki, often referred to in English as a Japanese raccoon dog, is a fascinating mammal native to East Asia. Despite its common English name, it’s crucial to understand that a tanuki is neither a raccoon nor a dog, though it shares some superficial resemblances.

Jan 28, 2025 · Discover the charming traits of tanuki, Japan's raccoon dog, from folklore to modern culture. Explore their impact on society and conservation efforts.

Learn why fans of "Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury" began calling Suletta a "Tanuki," the nickname of a famous Japanese raccoon dog.

Jul 22, 2021 · Chingodō (鎮護堂) is a small Shinto shrine in Asakusa which is dedicated to the tanuki (狸), a small, furry animal that is a mainstay of Japanese folklore. Such is the reverence accorded these animals, the shrine is sometimes called Otanuki-sama, (お狸 …

Tanuki (狸 or タヌキ ?) is the Japanese word for the Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonides viverrinus). They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded.