Discover the Wonders of Japan
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Japan's culture.
Discover the Wonders of Japan
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Japan's culture.
Discover Jump to Japan
Explore Japanese Culture
Dive into the rich traditions and vibrant culture of Japan. From mythical creatures to traditional arts, learn how these practises shape the Japanese way of life.
Explore Japanese Culture
Many of the unusual topics are unfamiliar even to native Japanese people. Friends have told me they learned new things about their own culture from these stories!
Tanuki the Trickster
You see a tanuki figurine just about any time you stroll through a Japanese neighborhood, and he shows up in America frequently, too. Who is this little critter and why is he so popular?
Tanuki is a real-life creature, a raccoon-faced canine native to Eastern Asia. He weighs about fifteen pounds and has been hunted for his meat and prized brushes are made from his fur. He is often mistaken for a badger.
However, it is the ceramic tanuki we are most familiar with. Thousands of them are still made in Shigaraki, a pottery town in the hills outside Kyoto. These tanukis come in many sizes and find their way to the gardens of inns, temples and homes, and are fixtures in many businesses. Tanuki is his true self standing in the doorway of a restaurant or snack bar.* Tanuki is the original party animal with his over-stuffed belly and ever-ready sake bottle.
It is tanuki’s supernatural qualities that make him beloved. He is mischievous and is able to take human form and play tricks on people. Tanuki’s tricks are usually good-natured and humorous. He often wraps himself in a lotus leaf and masquerades as a monk, but tanuki is a little o-cho-ko-choi (scatterbrained) and he might forget to hide his tail. In one folk tale he takes the shape of a tea kettle and performs circus tricks, making a fortune for his owner. Japanese grandmas warn children that if they go outside alone in the dark tanuki will play a trick on them. Even Ieyasu Tokugawa, the most famous shogun, could not escape the tanuki mystique: his nickname was Furu Tanuki (Old Tanuki).
Over the centuries many symbolic messages have been attributed to tanuki figurines: his big hat offers protection from accidents, his jolly face makes us cheerful, his big eyes seem alert and watchful, the ledger he carries is a reminder to repay debts when the shopkeeper extends credit, and his empty sake bottle cautions to not drink to excess. His big belly symbolizes the Japanese belief that decisions are made from the gut. However, his most distinguishing characteristic is his enormous kin bukuro, which translates as “money bags,” but is slang for scrotum. Reputedly, tanuki’s kin bukuro are the size of eight tatami mats. That translates as a lot of good luck!
The Japanese view tanuki’s remarkable scrotum with humor, a little surprising for most Americans.
*Snack bars are small bars serving alcohol, often to regular customers.
How to Buy Jump to Japan
Current retail establishments.
Annie Bloom Books, 7834 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR
Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR
Portland Japanese Garden Gift Shop, 611 SW Kingston Avenue
Watch for more to be added.
Book signing events will be posted as they are scheduled.
Invite Lynn to speak to your organization. She will bring books!
Contact Lynn Geis at jtojbook@gmail.com
Place an order. Books are $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping (USPS)
Pay with Venmo, or PayPal
Venmo: @Geisha24.
