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Tanuki on Miyajima Island

We encountered two Tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dogs) in the yard of the Miyajima Guest House Mikuniya, our home on Miyajima Island during our stay there in March of 2017. Tanuki have been significant in 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 absentminded. It is also a common theme in Japanese art, especially statuary. Many Tanuki statues can be found outside shops and restaurants all over Japan. Tanuki statues usually have a big belly and somewhat disproportionate body parts. They are shown wearing turtle shell hats and carrying a promissory note (sometimes replaced by an empty purse) in one hand while the other hand holds a sake bottle. This animal is supposed to bring good fortune to business because of its 8 special traits: 1. The big belly signifies bold and calm decision-making, 2. The promissory note represents the trust and confidence 3. The bottle of sake represents Virtue! 4. The big tail represents steadiness and strength 5. Oversized testicles symbolize financial luck!! 6. Big eyes symbolize the capability to judge the environment and making good decisions 7. The turtle shell hat symbolizes readiness and protection against bad weather (meaning bad times) 8. The friendly smile which supposedly means friendly attitude towards customers.