Tanuki

Fun-loving, mischievous tricksters—tanuki are some of the most popular of the Yokai in Japan. Many are friendly and jovial and enjoy gambling, drinking sake, and overeating. Being omnivores, these characters also tend to run up large bills at bars and restaurants. They can be raucous and bawdy, or upright administrators and protectors.  

Appearance

Their natural form resembles a cross between a raccoon and a potbellied dog. Many sport a raccoon-style mask on their faces. Often, tanuki wear a wide-brimmed straw hat with a leaf in it and carry a bottle of sake around.     

Abiities

Tanuki are powerful shapeshifters, able to transform into items (such as tea kettles, lanterns, or stones), or people (often round-bellied priests or officials). They like to use their stomachs as a drum or imitate sounds to lure curious passers-by into the forest and get them thoroughly lost. Casting illusions for coinage to pay with is another common trick. Despite their deceptive tendencies, their presence is considered a sign of luck and good fortune. If you stick up for a tanuki, they'll repay you in kind.