Sighted

rac·coon dog
noun
a small wild dog of raccoonlike appearance, with a black facial mask and long brindled fur, native to the forests of southern and eastern Asia.

Ok, so I didn't spot one, but a friend down south stumbled upon this fabled creature while driving in the mountains last week. Not only does this 'coon dog' satisfy my fascination with hybrid creatures (particularly those involving raccoons), but my research uncovered this little gem of an artifact as well:



Remember this guy? Not to be confused with the more commonly pictured raccoon guise, the tanuki (or 'tanooki') suit provided insight into the series' little discussed folklore roots and makes this particular discovery all the more significant.

From Wikipedia (highlights):

"On 22 December 2006, fur-hooded jackets made by the Sean John clothing company were pulled off the shelves of Macy's Department Stores when the nation’s largest animal protection organization concluded that the garments were actually made from raccoon dog."

"The actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers' packs, or using them as drums."

"Statues of tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear big, cone-shaped hats and carry bottles of sake in one hand, and a promissory note (a bill it will never pay) or empty purse in the other hand."

Ohhhhhhhhh, Japan.