Pictures of tanuki statues and figurines.
A famous figure in Japanese folklore and modern popular media, statues and figurines of the tanuki are a common sight in Japan. The tanuki are fluffy with a friendly round face, so their figurines are often very cute, too! They cheer me up whenever I see them, so I’d like to share some pictures I took with you. I’ll also write a little about the tanuki legends and beliefs in Japan!
What’s a Tanuki?
In Japan, a tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) is a creature that appears frequently in culture, mythology and folklore. Like the kitsune (foxes), a tanuki in Japanese folklore is a mischievous creature capable of shapeshifting. It uses its ability to trick unsuspecting people in various legends. Even so, rather than evil, a tanuki is usually just sly, playful and mischievous. Compared to the generally more mysterious and elegant kitsune, tanuki in folklore is also often more gullible, jolly and absent-minded in nature. So it’s usually depicted as the cute counterpart of the cool kitsune in various media and popular culture.
Aside from that, several beliefs also led to the tanuki becoming a symbol of good luck in businesses. So we occasionally see statues of them in front of shops and restaurants. Their overall cuteness has also led to the creation of various tanuki goods and items for decoration. Let’s take a look at the pictures I have!
Tanuki Statues
Symbols of good luck
In Japan, people sometimes pun tanuki (狸) as ta-nuki (他抜き), which means ‘without anything else (that is unnecessary)’. Some people also take the pun a step further to ta-o-nuku (他を抜く), which means ‘surpassing everything else’. So it’s considered an auspicious symbol that’s able to bring good luck, success and good sales to businesses. You can see several shops placing a tanuki statue at their doorstep here and there, like the picture above and below. They’re usually recognizable by their anthropomorphic form and huge round stomachs. They’re also usually wearing a huge straw hat with a string around their necks.
Shigaraki ware
Shigaraki ware (信楽焼) is a type of stoneware pottery in Japan. The tanuki statues is a common motif and had come to represent the shigaraki ware over the years. Their designs usually look like the picture above, so they’re easy to recognize. Their huge eyes, friendly gin, round bellies and warm colours make them look so cute! The gourd and bag that they commonly carry are also symbols of good luck.
Tanuki figurines and others
Unlike the the statues whose symbolism play a huge role, figurines and goods are often kept mainly for decorative purposes. Who wouldn’t squeal of joy at small cute objects on a table?! I couldn’t help taking pictures of this one when I saw it at a restaurant. I think it’s a very clever use of the pose and the functionality to bring out the maximum cuteness.
Here are some more pictures of other tanuki decorations and figurines. This one is a cute tanuki wind chime I saw on my way to work.
The ones below are the cute figurines that I have at home. Look at how round and cute they are~ This one was sold as a thank you gift, which is why it’s making that pose.
This one is a small figurine of a tanuki tilting its head at you. A simple but a very cute idea!
This one is a plate with tanuki footprints that my sister bought as a souvenir. A cute one with the picture of a tanuki on its back.
The Collection
And this is my tanuki figurine collection. They’re such a cute bunch I feel happy whenever I look at them. Look at all the fluff!
The tanuki in the noodle bowl is a play on the Japanese dish ‘tanuki soba’. And no, it’s NOT a dish with tanuki meat in it! It’s plain soba (buckwheat noodles) with bits of deep-fried tempura crisps. No one really knows why it came to be called that way, but there are two theories. The first one is because it’s usually paired with its cousin the kitsune soba (plain soba with abura-age (fried tofu skin) topping). And the second theory is because it has nothing but bits of crisps as its topping (the tanuki (他抜き / without anything else) pun). Either way, it’s a cute name and its tasty! (And it certainly made for a very cute figurine idea.)
And that’s it!
Hope you enjoyed all the fluff and cuteness! I’ll be on the lookout for more tanuki statues and goods. Maybe I’ll make another post once I have a new collection of pictures. Look forward to it.
Thanks for sticking around and see you again in another post!
