In Japanese folklore, the tanuki is the raccoon dog associated with shapeshifting and mischief.
The word tanuki refers to the real Japanese raccoon dog, a canid native to East Asia. In traditional stories, however, the animal becomes a yōkai called a bake-danuki: a supernatural trickster able to disguise itself as people, objects, or sometimes entire scenes.
Tanuki tales often portray these creatures as comic rather than purely frightening. They may fool travelers, impersonate priests, transform into household objects, or lure people into ridiculous situations. Their transformations are frequently motivated by playfulness, greed, revenge, or simple curiosity.
A common mix-up is with the kitsune, or fox spirit. Both creatures shapeshift, but folklore often presents kitsune as more elegant, dangerous, or seductive, while tanuki are depicted as boisterous and comical. Tengu are birdlike mountain spirits, and kappa are water-dwelling yōkai, so neither is the raccoon-dog trickster described here.