In Japan, the customers entering a bar or a restaurant are often greeted by a cheerful statue representing a tanuki… Tanuki is a term used both for a real-life animal (the Japanese raccoon dog) and for a mythical creature from the Japanese folklore, represented by these statues.

The mythical tanuki is a symbol of prosperity, cheerfulness and generosity, so the businesses are using it to spur the customers to spend generously, a role somehow similar to the Maneki Neko.

Namba, Osaka

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Edo period street scene