Yashimaji Temple enshrines Tasaburo-danuki, one of Japan's three famous tanuki. He is said to have watched the Genpei Battle of Yashima and is told of as the great chief of Shikoku's tanuki, a master of shapeshifting.
Legend Site
Yashima (Tasaburo-danuki)
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Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | Bake-danuki (Shapeshifting Tanuki) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kagawa Takamatsu |
| Type of place | Mountain |
| Map position | Approximate position (Municipality), not the exact place |
A tanuki (raccoon dog) yokai that tricks people and transforms into people and things. Legends of famous great tanuki abound in Shikoku and Sado, and it is beloved through folktales like Bunbuku Chagama and stories of tanuki drumming on their bellies.