tanuki testicles

sionnach commented on the word tanuki testicles

Andrew Leonard writes, on Salon.com:

I learned today that the Japanese raccoon dog, which is neither a raccoon nor a dog, has unusually large testicles. Beloved in Japanese folklore, statues of the raccoon dog, or tanuki, often take some humorous liberties with this anatomical feature, according to Wikipedia, with the raccoon dog balls "typically hanging down to the floor or ground, although this feature is sometimes omitted in contemporary sculpture."

If you are inclined to wonder whether Wikipedia is a trustworthy source on this matter, then I would urge you to take a look at a series of woodblock prints created by the master artist Utigawa Koniyoshi in the 19th century, depicting, says Pink Tentacle, the tanuki "using their humorously large scrota in creative ways."

humorously large raccoon dog scrota

June 25, 2009