Big Tanuki Balls Bring Good Fortune
The 8 good-luck traits of the Japanese raccoon dog.
What’s that symbol always on a tanuki’s sake flask? It’s the Japanese character hachi 八 or eight. It stands for the 8 traits of a tanuki that bring good luck. They are…
1. A hat to guard against trouble, and to look dashing while facing it.
2. Big eyes 👀 to see the things around it and to help it make wise decisions.
3. A sake bottle 🍶 that symbolizes virtue, for some reason.
4. A big tail for the steadiness you need to reach success.
5. A bag of IOUs 💰 for trust. Nothing says trust like unpaid debts.
6. A friendly smile for kindness.
7. A big ol’ belly for confident and smart decision-making.
8. Large, massive, enormous balls ⚾⚾ for wealth and prosperity.