LIHUE — Moriyama Japan exchange student Yuriko Hatayama became excited on Friday when she learned about the 50-year-old bigger-than-life tanuki that found a new home at the Kauai Museum.
“I have one,” the 16-year-old student said. “I got mine — it’s small — several years ago when I was in middle school.”
Adding to the excitement, the three exchange students—Sara Funahashi, Konami Fukutome, and Hatayama — and their chaperone, Sachiko Tsuda— interrupted their A Day of Aloha at Kauai Museum plans to view the tanuki in its new quarters amidst the different ethnic cultures.
The visit to the tanuki punctuated the curriculum of studying hula, playing the ukulele, and making lei and opened up new conversations connecting Moriyama to Kauai.
Art Umezu, the longtime liaison between Japanese visitors and Kauai dignitaries, said the tanuki was a gift from Moriyama when the sister city relationship was signed in 1975.
“The people from Moriyama made it especially for the County of Kauai as a goodwill gift on the sister city signing,” Umezu said. “You can only get tanuki from Moriyama and Shigarashi. And, it’s difficult to make large tanuki, which is why most tanuki figures are small.”
Umezu said the county first set up the tanuki inside the County Building before moving it to the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. Following years of neglect and vandalism, the county was fortunate that Kauai Museum Executive Director Chucky Boy Chock offered to have the tanuki become part of the museum’s exhibit.
The Moriyama exchange students’ trip is part of the Sister City relationship that will celebrate its 50th anniversary, Umezu said.
“This is the Human Project No. 6,” Umezu said. “The students came on Wednesday, spent a day at Kauai High School on Thursday, A Day of Aloha at Kauai Museum on Friday, and leave for Japan on Saturday. While here, the students were taken care of by Craig and Lori Koga.”
Michiru Umezu, of the Kauai Museum staff and born in Japan, said the tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog, is associated with good luck and prosperity, which is why many businesses have small tanuki in their shops.
Unlike the fox or kitsune, Tanuki has magical powers and is found only in Japan.
According to the Sakurao website, the tanuki statue features “hassoengi,” which represent the eight signs of good luck.
A hat to protect yourself from trouble and unexpected accidents; big eyes help you observe and pay attention to everything around you to make the right decisions; a smiley face represents friendliness and being kind to others; the wine bottle contains sake or Japanese rice wind, with the meaning of learning the qualities and character of a person who does not have to worry about eating; the book is a place to record cash in and out. This is an important item in creating trust, especially when borrowing money with the desire to build a trusting relationship between people.
The belly drum represents a steady, calm, and daring attitude when handling situations; the golden bags represent luck that will get better and better and create more money or fortune, and the big tail helps to support the balance of the body, implying stability. It also represents the end, so it also has another meaning of wishing everything to end firmly.
