Shigaraki Tanuki Village - Visitors to Japan will notice the...

KOKA, SHIGA PREFECTURE, JAPAN - 2020/11/14: Shigaraki Tanuki Village - Visitors to Japan will notice the ceramic statues in front of many houses and shops, resembling plump animals with traditional straw hats often with a bottle of sake and huge, sagging testicles. Fans of Ghibli films will know tanuki as one of the heroes in Pompoko. A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon. It is believed that tanuki can change shape and is thought of as mischievous - though inoffensive and playful.  This creature is popular thanks to its magic powers and personality.  These traits are represented in the figurines and are regarded as a typical local product from Shigaraki in Shiga Prefecture. Shigaraki is a peaceful village, situated in a region known for pottery workshops. Tanuki figurines and large clay pots are dotted along the side of the road. Since the start of the 1950s, a centre has been welcoming those with mental impairments and pioneering an integration project by involving them in work. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)