Today, Abie introduced me to this thing called a Takuni, or a Japanese Raccoon Dog.
The actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers’ packs, or using them as drums.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, detail of Rainy Day Tanuki, 1881.
This is easily the most tasteful image of a Takuni I found.
