The Tanuki Hunt Continues

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

We had been told we should look for a tanuki in Asakusa, so we decided to go there today. It would give us a chance to re-visit Senso-ji Temple, a site that we had not been to for quite a few years.

We took the subway and near the Asakusa exit we found a beautiful display behind glass in a niche in the underground passages.

I am thinking it is either a model of a palanquin that was once used in connection with Senso-ji Temple, or it is a model of a festival float. Asakusa is known for its festivals.

We arrived in Asakusa and realized that we didn’t know exactly where to look for our tanuki. 

First, let’s talk about tanuki. A tanuki is an animal that lives in Japan. It is real. In English it is called a”racoon dog.” It is neither a raccoon, nor a dog. It is a member of the fox and wolf families.

Photo from Wikipedia

Tanuki is also a well-known character in Japanese folklore. He is mischievous and jolly, and slightly supernatural. Little statues of Tanuki are ubiquitous, especially in front of restaurants and in gardens. He is thought to bring good luck. Usually Tanuki wears a straw hat and carries a lantern and a bottle of sake. Maybe he is a bit drunk.

Photo from Wikipedia

Tanuki really grows on you. After a few trips to Japan, I became a fan of Tanuki. I have been wanting one for a while, and this is a trip where carrying him home will not be a problem, so . . .

We decided to start our Asakusa Tanuki hunt on . . .  Wait for it.  . . . Tanuki Shopping Street.  

TSS turned out to be highly overrated. It was a narrow lane, two blocks long, and nearly forgotten. There were no Tanuki to be had here, and no shopping, for that matter. It wasn’t much of a street. The only Tanuki element that we encountered was a series of lanterns with weird metal tanuki in them.

Ma and Pa Tanuki?

This poster shows all of the Tanuki and where they are located on TSS

We decided that the guy at Don Quijote in Shinjuku might possibly have meant for us to look for tanuki at the Don Quijote in Asakusa. We bit the bullet and forayed into another Don Quijote, but there was nothing remotely as nice as a tanuki in the entire store. They did, however, have many flavors of Kit Kats.

We gave up and decided to go and see the Senso-ji Temple, which was two or three blocks away. It was hot and crowded, so we didn’t stay long.

                

On our way out through the maze of little shops surrounding Senso-ji, I suddenly spotted a couple of tanuki in a shop window. I was overjoyed! They had been so hard to find in Tokyo - they are more of a Kyoto item.

I picked out the smaller one. I liked his face better. I would have liked a larger one, but I was grateful to have the cute one I chose. The clerk carefully wrapped it up and put it init’s box and wrapped up the box and put the box in a bag and sealed up the bag. They are huge fans of wrapping things in Japan. So, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, as W once said.

Sorry I don’t have a photo. Tanuki is all wrapped up. Maybe at a later point in the trip I will be able to unwrap him.

We schlepped back to our hotel with Tanuki and a bunch of melted Kit Kats. 

The view from our room, including some bright pink azalea beds

For our last night in Tokyo we decided to go to a revolving sushi bar. By mistake, we ended up at a “standing”’ sushi bar. Maybe some other time, but not after a week of marching all over Tokyo. Nope. We need a sitting sushi bar. Fortunately, there was one a block away. It was great, but we learned not to sit near the end of the conveyor belt. By the time it gets to you, there isn’t much to choose from. But we very much enjoyed it. It’s a fun way to eat.

Oishi!
Delicious!

No thank you

All done. You stack up your used plates and the price for each plate is determined by the color of the plate.

Today’s fabric is Tanuki Fabric, from F & P Interiors. It is a blend of linen, cotton, viscose, and polyester. It is described by F & P as a smart woven fabric with a mesmerizing diamond zig zag design. In traditional Japanese folklore, the Tanuki is a magical fox-like animal known for its mischievous nature and shape-shifting abilities.

I would totally buy that couch. It’s gorgeous.