raccoon dogs

Japanese tanuki heads for the ticket gates at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo【Video】

Wild animal’s surprise appearance makes people wonder if this was a shapeshifting salaryman on his way home from work.

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In search of Japan’s biggest tanuki, we stumble across something equally big

Japanese raccoon dogs are known for their large…ahem, appendages. But which one is the largest of them all?

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Giant-testicled pig statue at Japanese restaurant baffles Internet

Because nothing says “delicious cooking” like huge, saggy pig balls, right?

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Female Japanese tanuki racoon dogs get a chance to shine in new lineup of gacha capsule toys

Male raccoon dog statues are often displayed with their large, uh, family jewels outside Japanese eateries, but soon female tanuki will shine with a different set of large assets.

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Tanuki teamwork! Japanese raccoon dogs’ cuddly communal nap is too cute to miss 【Photos】

During these crisp, cool days of autumn, the leaves are changing color to vibrant reds and yellows. Along with that change in the scenery comes a shift in fashion, as people step out in sweaters, coats, and other cold-weather attire.

But while you or I can put on a heavy jacket to help ward off the chill, that’s not an option for Japan’s woodland animals. Don’t worry, though because while these tanuki can’t put on additional layers of clothing to keep warm, they can add additional layers of tanuki by sleeping in an adorable bunch.

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Japan is so polite that even this adorable raccoon dog gives thank-you presents

There’s an annual autumn event in Japan called Shichi-Go-San, which is a celebration for children aged three, five, and seven. My brother-in-law’s youngest daughter is seven this year, so on the special day my wife and I gave her a small monetary gift. Sweet kid that she is, she immediately thanked us, but as we left the party my brother-in-law handed us a small cake to express his appreciation as well.

This pattern of giving someone a gift to say thank you for the gift they previously gave you is fairly common in Japan, where gracious manners are always held to be of the utmost importance. As a matter of fact, it’s such a part of life in the country that apparently even one animal, a thankful tanuki, is following the custom.

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