How Did Japan Become Infested with Raccoons?
You don’t associate raccoons with Japan, but they have become a serious problem
Raccoons are cute as hell. They also have a reputation for rascally behaviour. It was precisely these qualities that gave rise to their popularity in Japan, prompted by a 70s TV show.
Unfortunately, Japan now has something of raccoon problem. And it is spreading. They have already become naturalized in 44 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. They are proving to be major pests, eating crops and indigenous species such as the Japanese crayfish and the Ezo salamander. The raccoons have even damaged 80% of Japan’s temples.
Given that raccoons aren’t native to Japan, how did so many get there?
The raccoons first arrive in Japan after the success of a TV series
In 1963, a book was released called Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, by author Sterling North. It was based on the writer’s real childhood experiences when he had adopted a baby raccoon for a year. It was a huge hit, and Disney even made a live-action movie.
However, it was the release of Rascal the Raccoon (Araiguma Rasakaru) in 1977 that changed everything in Japan. Rascal the Raccoon was a 52-episode anime cartoon series…
