Raccoon in ♨️ (Akita,ユーランド)

5 comments

1. 👁️👄👁️

2. *tanuki (totally different animal)

3. r/creepydesign

4. That’s a prison tanuki, you can tell by the chest tattoo.

5. This is a [Japanese Racoon Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog). They’re in the same family as racoons – canids, but a different branch apparently.

   They’re a staple of Japanese mythology, originally as mischievous tricksters and shapeshifters and latterly as more supportive of human affairs so we see them depicted in various cute guises like your noodle tanuki.

   [Studio Ghibli’s Pom Poko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pom_Poko) from 1994 had the tanuki join forces to stop the destruction of their forest. There are some good scenes where they practice shape-shifting.

   There’s probably a solid commercial opportunity for anyone who can figure out how to get a Tanuki Cafe up and running!