Tanuki no Pantsu
(Several tales of Tanuki…possibly in their underpants…)
Tan tan tanuki no kintama wa
Kaze mo nai no ni bura bura
Firstly, when discussing the absolute powerhouse of a yokai called “Tanuki” we would be remiss…negligent even, without mentioning several great resources:
- #1. Mark @ Onmark Productions who has spent years…decades even, on researching and reporting Japanese religion and mythology.
- #2. Zack Davisson over @ HyakuMonogatari ,who expounds on these ideas as though he were a personal friend of yokai and with whom he has drinks occasionally. Zack is brilliant.
- #3. The Ghibli film “Pom Poko” which gives a genius interpretation of Tanuki as they are understood today in Japan.
Basically the aforementioned sources leave almost nothing to say, write or even comment upon! What can this pro-yokai author offer his readers that has not been said before? Well, I had some ideas…but those can wait.
To begin, the Tanuki is a type of yokai called by many the racoon, the badger, even the fox! (And given what we know about the yokai’s ability to shapeshift, one could be the other without so much as a raised eyebrow!)
However, it behooves us to discuss the Tanuki on its own terms. Tanuki is none of the animals above (shout out to my friends on Twitter: #WeAreNotRacoons) but is in fact a type of canine! Tanuki are said to possess great magical powers and have been written about for most of Japan’s history.
Anyone heard of an artist called Hokusai? (Yah…that ‘big wave’ guy.)
He did several paintings of Tanuki which are brilliant! Oh wait…here’s one now!
So…you’re thinking…ok…magical racoon dog thing…so what?
Well, as any of my readers can tell you…so A LOT what!
Because I actually believe in yokai, I can’t help but sharing their marvelous and fantastical attributes with others…(and sometimes their marvelous and fantastical underwear) (dat Oni underwear doh….)
In my last article, I went on and on about the spectacular yokai called the Kappa. I must say, I generally tend to avoid the popular, the ‘top 10’s’, fashion trends and the like but honestly…who can deny the staying power of the Tanuki?? Who could look at the fictionalizations, the documentations, the merchandise without saying to oneself, “Wow…those Tanuki are pretty cool!”
So now that we know what we’re dealing with, I’d like to take a different angle on the topic. Yokai are spirit beings. Some are in the realm of “cryptid” like the fox who is viewed as a sort of “in this world and also not in this world” sort of creature. Some are seen as entirely “not in this world” like Ryujin (the Dragon King) or the Great Serpents who reside in Sanzu (the river of the underworld.)
Some…like the Yurei, are viewed as beings of spirit who are in this world but should not be.
But I suspect that, more than any of the others, it’s the Tanuki that is most truly “in this world”…look…you can go to any outlying suburb of Tokyo and see them! They’re right there!!!
(Author pauses to reflect on what he was actually writing yesterday and realizes he wants to change the entire direction of his narrative but that might discombobulate his readers.)
If you follow the link to Onmark Productions, you’ll see a cleverly put together chart (2 charts actually) in a compare/contrast between the Chinese Fox, the Japanese Fox and our undaunted hero — the Tanuki.
The final category of which is the focus of my “I’ve got something else to say” ideal.
I’d like to take a moment to talk about the word “divine”.
In the West, “divine” is merely an adjective in subordination to the idea of “god”…it’s a symptom versus a state of being. I would argue that, in Asian culture, ‘divinity’ requires no ‘say so’ from a deity. Rather, it is an magical imperative. A being cannot be considered kami, yokai or whatever other supernatural life-state without divinity. Therefore, I would disagree with the assertion that Tanuki (or other yokai) have no ‘divine connection’ as their very status as “yokai” implies divinity by definition.
Wow…that’s a mouthful, no? How about I put it another way…
I have a pair of magic underwear. They can make me invisible, or super strong, or whatever. In the West, those underwear would be viewed as “divine” because “god made them magic.” In Asian cultures, the underwear are divine BECAUSE they are magic whether or a not a deity created them. Further…that the deity in question is ALSO magic…and that is what makes them a deity.
So, when the creator of Plate 2 (@ Onmark) says that Tanuki have “no divine connection” I would say that this is a Western view of an Eastern supernatural creature!
Secondly, I would like to discuss the Tanuki’s origins in contrast to the current understanding of its nature.
(Whatever are you talking about Taro???)
I’ll tell you. Japan loves kawaii things (almost as much as I love to verb words.) Whether they are people, animals, or especially monsters. I’m on the fence about this idea. On the one hand, making something cute can help attract a larger audience. On the other…it tends to distract from the obvious. I can…if I choose, make a kawaii alligator…see?
This is an illustration of “Gena the Crocodile,” a Russian children’s story. Obviously, you see where I’m going with this as clearly as a man who wears trousers so loose you can see his pink polka-dotted boxers. In reality, that crocodile would definitely devour that monkey without thinking twice about it!
So too it is with yokai. These are creatures of the dark. They are terrifying. They are ferocious and they will…given the chance… eat your face off. (See my previous article.)
The Tanuki is a kind of nasty character. In one tale, he kills the wife of a commoner and assumes her shape to carry out his unknowably divine deeds!
Tanuki have been said to cause insanity or death! Possessing or bewitching men and women was also a common narrative. This, within the context of the previous section wherein the behavior of a ‘divine spirit’ cannot be judged by mere mortals.
The logic goes something like: Tanuki are divine. Humans are not. Divinity has its own rules to follow and doesn’t necessarily adhere to human ethical codes. Therefore one cannot call a being or action “evil” if it is being carried out by a divine being. To call it evil demands ignorance!
(In deference to the film Pom Poko…please note that even the kawaii/modern version of the Tanuki places humans in very real danger as they drive trucks off roads, fell trees into oncoming traffic and chase lonely humans off bicycles in the middle of the night.)
In underwear terms: My magic underwear allows me to break the rules of physics. They are not part of the ‘normal’ world, therefore…you can not judge me (or my underwear) for the abilities that they grant.
I wanted to do a section of this article where I compare yokai (but mostly Tanuki) to Western supernatural creatures such as the commonly known goblin, but I think I’ll save those “hey…it’s kinda like” statements for another piece…possibly with the Kitsune or my second piece on demons entitled “Yori oku Oni no pantsu.” (More demon underwear.)
Regardless, I feel we’ve covered what I have to say on the subject of Tanuki.
Other than to create a comparison of Tanuki with underpants.
The Tanuki (perhaps more or less than other yokai) have mutated with the progress of Japan. As Japan has become more modernized, so has the idea of the Tanuki. Therefore, I feel there is no better correlation than to call the Tanuki a pair of well fitting boxer briefs. They look good, they feel good. They are as much an example of modernity as a skyscraper or an internet café.
Kudos to the Tanuki!
(This is my 6th article for Japonica. There are links to my other articles both here and @ my wix site. I’m also on Twitter @Afterpants1
Please ‘follow’ me (on Medium) as I am vehemently trying to get monetized for my content. Imagine me…a brilliant author…having to wait tables to make ends meet…the utter tragedy!!! Lol.
See you all next time on Ghosterpants!!!!)
