Raccoon Dogs

(Tanuki)

Publisher: Kadzusa-ya Iwazô

c. 1842

This series of comic prints alludes to the supposed ability of raccoon dogs to voluntarily enlarge their scrotums. It is listed as 209 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). Robinson translated tanuki as ‘badgers’, but ‘raccoon dogs’ seems to be more correct. The images are each about 7 by 10 inches (18 by 25 centimeters), a size known as chûban. Two images were printed on a sheet of paper about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Scene: Raccoon dogs net fishing (Tanuki no amiuchi) Scene: Raccoon dogs on the street (Tanuki no ôrai)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs river fishing (Tanuki no kawagari) Scene: Raccoon dogs sheltering from evening shower (Tanuki no yûdachi)
	Scene: Tanuki no senkimochi Scene: Raccoon dogs as the seven lucky gods (Tanuki no shichifukujin)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs telling fortunes (Tanuki no uranai) Scene: Raccoon dogs as shop signs (Tanuki no kanban)
	Scene: Kintama chikara mochi Scene: Catfish (Namazu hyôtan kintama)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs as Sumô wrestlers (Tanuki no sumô) Scene: Night stall (Tanuki no mochi)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs sheltering from the cold (Samugari tanuki) Scene: Raccoon dogs as retailers celebrating the first sale of the new year (Hatsuuma no tanuki)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs as old people (Tanuki no kokintama) Scene: Daruma (Tanuki no dôke Daruma)
	Scene: Imitating tengu (Tengu no mane) Scene: Seine fishing (Jibiki danuki)
	Scene: Raccoon dogs for sale (Tanuki no urisue) Scene: Raccoon dog pulling a boat (Tanuki no hikifune)

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