From deities to Gods, the trickster is found throughout all kinds of Folklore and mythology. While the character type is most often seen as malevolent, this Yokai is much more interested in harmless pranks and saké.

The Tanūki is a type of raccoon dog, one with the ability to transform into anything just by placing a leaf on its head.

They can take the form of people, plants, or objects. In some cases they can even change the appearance of the surrounding environment.

Living deep in the forests, these Yokai love to party. They dance while beating their big round bellies like drums, sometimes transforming into old monks to prank travelers on the roadside - giving them faulty directions.

When running low on drink - A Tanūki can transform into a person, wander into a nearby village to buy sake from a street vendor. They may act polite, bowing as they pay, but to the vendors’ surprise - the money turns into a pile of leaves as soon as the Tanūki scampers back into the forest!

You’ve got to have some big balls to pull a trick like that…. literally.

Their giant scrotums can be used for a wide range of tasks, they can use them as boats, chairs, or stretch them out to use as a glider.

It may seem strange, but Raccoon Dog pelts were once used when hammering gold leaf. The association between “balls of gold” (Kin no tama) and the word for testicals (Kintama) – resulted in this representation of the large scrotum symbolizing prosperity. So it’s common to see statues of these creatures in gardens or storefronts for good luck.

Tanūki are often associated with another canine Trickster, the Kitsuné. Though they both have similar shape-shifting abilities, stories of the fox spirit are usually much more malevolent.

Throughout folklore, not all shape-shifting creatures are tricksters, but the Trickster characters always have some sort of transformation ability. Blurring the line between people and animals, these stories help us explore our connection to the natural world and the creatures inhabiting it.

Or maybe we’re looking into it too much, and we should just grab some saké and party – cheers!