The tanuki, or raccoon-dog, is a weird little creature. Like a lot of Japanese legends, the legends of the tanuki is somewhat based in truth - in this case, the tanuki actually exists. Look at that guy! So damn fluffy.

What they Look Like:                                                                                       The legendary tanuki looks a lot different than the actual tanuki. Japanese portrayals of tanuki commonly feature a big-bellied creature wearing a straw hat, sandals, and holding a jug of sake. Oh, and with....a ridiculously large scrotum. Yes, you heard that right. Apparently this is because actual tanuki used to be hunted for their scrotum skin? Whatever. It’s one of the most defining features of tanuki and it’s hella weird.

What they Do:                                                                                              Tanuki are known as mischievous shape shifters. They use this, as well as the sound of their belly drumming to lure travelers and monks off paths. Often times, they would change forms to make it appear that people were doing stupid or embarrassing things. Their image has changed a lot in modern times though. The tanuki has become a welcoming, friendly figure at bars at restaurants. Kinda like a naughty version of the maneki neko.

In Pop Culture:                                                                                              Tanuki are really popular figures in Japanese culture. Just walking down the street, they can be seen in front of establishments. They also show up in movies and video games. One of Studio Ghibli’s lesser known films, Pom Poko, features a clan of tanuki. They also show up as special “suits” in Mario games. Oh yeah, remember Tom Nook from Animal Crossing? Yeah he’s a tanuki. Here’s a commercial featuring tanuki (kinda)

What is a kappa? Basically, it’s a Japanese turtely-froggy type demon thing. Here’s a breakdown of kappas in Japanese culture.

What they Look Like:                                                                                 Kappas are about the size of a small child and are covered in scales. Some also say they have beaks (what, are they ducks now?) They have webbed feet, turtle-like shells on their backs, and a bowl-like thing on their head that holds water from their home pond or stream. This water is supposed to give them their strength.

A common sight in Japanese shrines is walls of 絵馬 (えま) , or wooden wishing plaques. Remember that shrines (神社) = Shinto and temples (寺) = Buddhism, so the tradition of 絵馬 is Shinto. However, because the two religions have blended so much, you can now find these plaques at temples as well.

Obviously, there are two kanji in the word 絵馬. One means picture, while the other means horse. This is because horses were seen as messengers to heaven. Some people donated horses to shrines to have the gods hear their wishes. However, if you haven’t noticed, horses are a bit pricey. The tradition morphed into donating figures of horses, and then these plaques with pictures of horses. Nowadays, plaques aren’t always of horses. It’s very common for the zodiac of the year to be on plaques, the shrine’s emblem, or other religious art. Often times, these designs are localized to the shrine selling them. For example if a region is famous for a particular legend, the 絵馬 will have a picture representing that. Sometimes there’s even plaques with pictures of anime characters!