When traveling in Japan, you might see a real tanuki. But you are more likely to see the statues of the mythological tanuki. You will see statues of tanukis near houses, shops, parks, basically everywhere. 

The history of the tanuki is old. The tanuki is even mentioned in old Japanese folklore. In folklore, the tanuki is said to be a shape shifter with powers that are supernatural. In early folklore, the tanukis would shapeshift into a human and haunt or play tricks on other human beings. 

After tanukis were first mentioned in early folklore, they were later mentioned as being tricksters. The tanuki was said to use magic on travelers. Today the tanuki is cute, cheerful, and wise, and can bring success to people. 

Over time, the tanuki’s appearance has changed. The giant pair of balls on almost every tanuki statue was added during the Edo period. In various stories the testicles are described in many ways and have various uses. Now a days, the tanuki testicles are just as popular if not more so then the past. The balls are shown in modern art and even in cartoons like Studio Ghibli. 

If interested you can find cute Tanuki statues and a wide range of them on Amazon.