WiscoDave gets a new dog

Meet the Japanese tanuki.

Raccoon dog. 

Native to East Asia, they're members of the canine family even though

they strongly resemble raccoons.

Companionship and family are very important to tanuki.

They're generally monogamous and live in small close-knit groups.

Male tanuki are very nurturing to their young and have a reputation

for being compassionate partners and doting fathers.

Tanuki are the only canines to hibernate during the winter.

Again going with community and family, they are communal hibernators,

hunkering down in groups.

Tanuki feature prominently in Japanese folklore as Bake-danuki,

or Monster Raccoon Dog, a shape-shifting monster.

In the past couple hundred years, the tanuki have evolved into

more jovial spirits bestowing good fortune and prosperity.

Generally depicted with a bulbous belly, massive scrotum,

and host of goofy facial expressions, he is often seen carrying

a sake flask and a promissory note of unpaid bills.

(Sounds like some of my relatives.)

And believe it or not, the ginormous scrotum has nothing to do with

virility or sexual prowess, even though Japan is kinda kinky like that.

The story dates back to 19th century metal workers who wrapped gold

in tanuki skin before hammering it into gold leaf.

The tanuki skin was so strong that a tiny bit of gold could be

hammered thin enough to stretch across "eight tatami mats".

Because the Japanese terms for small ball of gold (kin no tama) and 

testicles (kintama) sound so similar, the image of the satumi

with large testicular area came to represent good fortune 

and "stretching one's money". And because bake-danuki 

represent prosperity and economic growth,small statues are frequently 

found at the entrance of Japanese bars and restaurants, 

bidding customers to "come in and don't be stingy."