Visiting the Tallest Tanuki Statues in Japan!
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The Land Where Tanuki Statues are Made- Tanuki Mura!
Imagine driving through the mountains,
turning the corner and pulling up to
three of the tallest Tanuki statues you've
ever seen!
That was the awesome, and
pretty hilarious, sight before my eyes
arriving at Tanuki Mura. It's a magical
place where hundreds of tanuki statues
with different designs and details are
made. My family was cool enough to go
with me and marvel at all of the happy
Tanuki statues and even make some
pottery.
Tanuki Mura is in Shiga
prefecture in an area called Koka,
Japan. It's about a two hour drive north
of Osaka city. You should check it out!
If not only to see so many Tanuki in one
place, but to smile and giggle at the humor of it all.
Yes. I even bought a small Tanuki, even though I have two medium size ones at home. They say you should look for one with a face that resembles your own. I didn't find one that really looked like me but, I must say, their selection was incredible!
I was very happy to have gone and it brings a smile to my face every time I think back on it. Of course, I wore my own Tanuki T-shirt and the employees were, to my delight, very excited to see my FC&S version! They said it's great that an American is actually using a Tanuki as a character in a comic strip.
Plan your trip and enjoy the silly fun! You can find out more about Tanuki Mura online or on their website (mainly in Japanese) here:
http://www.tanukimura.com/
Thanks for being a part of my adventure. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm not getting paid to promote Tanuki Mura. I'm just a Tanuki geek that's excited about such an enjoyable place!
All the best,
Khalid Birdsong
