Bake-danuki

Bake-danukis are cheerful and supernatural tanukis (raccoon dogs) from Japanese folklore. These shapeshifting creatures are auspicious: since they have eight disguises, they are associated with the number eight, which is lucky in many Asian cultures. Though bake-danukis are symbols of good fortune and playfulness, they can be impish, taking great pleasure in tricking people and making them appear foolish. One of the bake-danuki’s most notable features is its oversized scrotum, able to expand cartoonishly in size and shape for myriad uses. This magical scrotum becomes a raft for traversing water, a net for capturing fish and birds, and a sheet that shields the bake-danuki against the elements.