Tanuki!

June 5, 2004 10:46 AM

Let's talk tanuki... tanuki and fox... traditional tanuki... trickster tanuki... tanuki culture... transformer tanuki... tanuki priest... tanuki balls.
posted by moonbird (8 comments total)

The hammer suit was way better.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:59 AM on June 5, 2004

You forgot the Tanooki Suit.

On Preview: Kuribo's Shoe was wicked better, but the hammer suit garnered the best message from the King upon return of his magic wand.
posted by Potloaf at 11:07 AM on June 5, 2004

Tanukis love Tom Robbins
posted by BentPenguin at 12:23 PM on June 5, 2004

Wow, that's the best commercial ever (exploring the "tanuki balls" link -- longer version and translation available there).
posted by boredomjockey at 12:34 PM on June 5, 2004

Potloaf said everything I could possibly think of saying.

Nice post, though.
posted by rafter at 12:44 PM on June 5, 2004

The Global Schoolyard Rhyme Project - scroll down to Update #3 - has a similar reference: "Tan-Tan-Tanuki no kintama wa / Kaze mo nai no ni / Bura bura bura" ("The Fox-Fox-Foxdog's testicles are / Despite there being no wind blowing / Swaying, swaying, swaying").
posted by raygirvan at 1:37 PM on June 5, 2004

Somebody should mention Pom Poko, a delightful animated film about shape-shifting trickster tanuki by Isao Takahata, director of Grave of the Fireflies (which most people should see), and colleague of Spirited Away’s Miyazaki.
posted by Zetetics at 2:07 PM on June 5, 2004

Yes! Yes! Pom Poko is awesome. It's, um, often weird to Western audiences because of the Tanuki balls.

Thanks! Great post!
posted by azazello at 11:10 PM on June 5, 2004