Tanuki Tales and the Nigawarai Yokai

Step into the shadowy bamboo groves and misty valleys of Japanese folklore with the Uncanny Coffee Hour as we explore two fascinating supernatural entities—the haunting Nigawari and the mischievous Tanuki.

The Nigawari, a yokai rarely discussed in Western circles, preys on those who hide their true emotions behind false smiles. Our first tale follows young Hana as she discovers her sister falling under this spirit's influence, teaching us that sometimes the most uncanny horrors are the ones we create within ourselves by refusing to acknowledge our genuine feelings. The parallels to modern mental health discussions are striking—this centuries-old folklore anticipates our contemporary understanding of emotional authenticity and the dangers of toxic positivity.

From there, we lighten the mood with two delightful Tanuki stories. In the classic tale of Bunbuku Chagama, a shape-shifting raccoon dog becomes a teapot at a monastery, eventually revealing his true nature and remarkable performance skills. Our second Tanuki tale introduces Gengoro, a sake-loving trickster who, during a severe drought, reveals a secret spring to help a village brewer—proving that even the most mischievous creatures can show unexpected kindness.

Between sips of sake, earl gray tea, and hemp milk espresso, we weave these tales with thoughtful commentary on what they reveal about Japanese culture and universal human experiences. The mixture of humor, folklore, and philosophical musings creates a unique listening experience that will leave you seeing your teapot with new, slightly suspicious eyes.

Whether you're a folklore enthusiast, a lover of supernatural tales, or simply seeking stories with heart and humor, join us for an episode that reminds us how ancient wisdom continues to illuminate modern life in surprising ways. Subscribe now and remember—not everything that seems ordinary truly is.

Transcript

Welcome to Uncanny Coffee Hour

Speaker 1 0:05

I'm an evil-minded man, we'll keep you evil-minded too.

Speaker 2 0:13

Get evil cause. There's nothing else to do. I'm an evil cause, there's nothing else to do. Coming to you live from the Valley of Sickness, east of Springfield. Welcome to the Dr Kitsune Odd Bob Uncanny Coffee Hour.

Speaker 3 0:39

Where we're always respectful, with a touch of impish irreverence. We tell stories with wit and wisdom, encouraging a strong look at Indigenous perspectives.

Speaker 4 0:51

Well now, hello there and a warm welcome to you all. I'm Saoirse, and I'm the one around here with a bit of well, let's call it vocal flexibility. Being a puka, you see, means I don't just tell stories, I become a little piece of them. So if you hear me sounding like an old man one minute and a floaty, teeny, tiny fairy the next, don't you fret. That's just my way of making sure the tale hits home. It all starts with a little. That's a signal, means I'm tuning the old vocal cords or maybe sprouting a new set, entirely, all in the service of a good story. I'm glad to have your company.

Speaker 2 1:30

Brought to you this week by Odd Bob's Cascade Drowsy Draft and Sleep Elixir. Ever have trouble silencing the voices in your head? How about caring for an unruly toddler? Never fear. Just three fingers of Odd Bob's Cascade Drowsy Draft and Sleep Elixir will do the trick. Guaranteed to knock you on your ass in one drink. Strips, paint, clears, acne, might even make you go blind. Huh, one million and one uses. Get some. I had a sleepy baby. Get some.

Speaker 5 2:00

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 2:02

Hey.

Speaker 2 2:03

Hey, what's up man?

Speaker 3 2:04

Not much, it's a beautiful day out it is.

Speaker 2 2:08

It is Nice, beautiful sunset going on out there, yeah, so what you drinking this evening?

Speaker 3 2:15

I am having an espresso drink and guess what I'm using to sort of tame it down a little bit Something from the teat of an animal. I'm having hemp milk.

Speaker 4 2:29

Are we off to weave some flower crowns after the show? Then Hemp.

Speaker 3 2:33

Yeah, Hemp, you know like what you make ropes out of.

Speaker 2 2:38

Yeah, you've been smoking a little too much rope lately, I think I don't know man. You don't make ropes from your hemp I do not grow hemp, although I did have this great idea, business idea yeah of uh growing male hemp plants and then selling the male plants to people who are next to grows grow operations yeah, because one hemp plant can fertilize all those plants and then all of a sudden they won't produce bud anymore whoa dude, not kind my man uh-huh, not that I'm anti-marijuana or anything, I'm not right.

Speaker 3 3:15

Yeah, that seems like a jerk move, I just peace.

Speaker 2 3:18

Can't stand the smell wafting in my bedroom window every single night. Yeah, it's a little overpowering, yeah, yeah my wife has similar issues.

Speaker 3 3:27

She she hates the smell of it. My stinks. I was just saying somebody hit a skunk smells like a hedge wizard's potion but you know what's that?

Speaker 4 3:38

searcher I was saying it puts me in mind of some of the more experimental potions the old hedge wizards used to brew.

Speaker 2 3:46

Yeah, all right.

Speaker 4 3:48

Always ended up smelling a bit like a troll's sock that's been left by the fire too long. Those did.

Speaker 3 3:53

It's because of my diet. All right, You're on a hemp milk diet.

Speaker 2 4:02

Glad you're trying something different. I'm glad you're branching out in the world.

Speaker 3 4:05

Yeah, you know, I don't want to just have hemp milk with espresso every single time.

Speaker 4 4:10

Even the bog has more than one kind of squelch. Imagine a world with only one flavor of mischief Unthinkable.

Speaker 2 4:16

No, it's good yeah.

Speaker 4 4:22

Did a pixie pluck it from your tongue?

Speaker 3 4:30

Oh yeah, how rude of me sorry, rude.

Speaker 2 4:31

What are you drinking, mitch? I am drinking earl grey make it so with double bergamot and corn flour in it. Corn flour yeah corn flour, not like uh flour that you bake with corn flours.

Speaker 3 4:42

Look at it, see it's got these oh, pretty little blue, that is pretty, I'm pretty. See, it's got these pretty little blue, that is pretty, I'm pretty that is amazing.

Speaker 2 4:48

It's pleasing to the eye and to the palate.

Speaker 3 4:49

That's pretty cool. Yeah, I thought it was going to be like pancake batter at first.

Speaker 2 4:52

Well, and it looks a little better than what she's drinking. What is that exactly? Yeah, what are you having?

Speaker 4 4:59

I'm drinking Kumon nigori sake, cold and silky on the palate like my nipples.

Drink Introductions and Banter

Speaker 2 5:07

You know, nigori, nigori sake. Well, you know, I used to drink a lot of nigori sake and I would always tell the people I was drinking with that it was whale semen in the bottom of the cup. Tell the people I was drinking with that it was whale semen in the bottom of the cup. And Well, it was funny that the women would drink it down really quick like it was going out of business or something, and the men would always hold the cup out kind of suspect like oh, I'm not going to drink that. But most of the women.

Speaker 2 5:41

I hung out with, didn't even hesitate.

Speaker 4 5:44

They don't call them sperm whales for nothing.

Speaker 2 5:46

They downed it and asked for more.

Speaker 3 5:48

They didn't know what was in their Red Bull. Then did they Red Bull yeah, it's got bull semen in it.

Speaker 4 5:54

Taurine Taurine. Taurine Right Taurine.

Speaker 3 5:58

Or is that a myth? I'm not sure. I am a Taurus Taurine. Hey, if anybody out there knows, let us know if there's bull semen in Red Bull.

Speaker 2 6:08

I am a Taurus.

Speaker 4 6:08

I've been asked for my Taurine quite a bit, so I'm not sure A charmer he is.

Speaker 2 6:15

What'd you say?

Speaker 4 6:16

I was just marveling how it must be a very special kind of magic you wield over mortal women so potent, yet entirely invisible to those of us from the other side.

Speaker 2 6:28

Okay.

Speaker 3 6:29

Inappropriate.

Speaker 2 6:32

Inappropriate it's talking about getting us in trouble, showing those things to us in the middle of an episode.

Speaker 4 6:39

All three of them. Well, it is an audio format so not to bother.

Speaker 2 6:42

No, I'm not going to milk you.

Speaker 4 6:43

For information or anything else. You idiot.

Speaker 3 6:49

Are you talking to me or her? Either one of you, I'm not pulling on any teats. Do you remember when we worked together? And they'd call me Sake Bob.

Speaker 2 6:58

Yeah, Sake Bob.

Speaker 4 6:59

Yeah, sake Bob.

Speaker 3 7:01

Because I love the sake.

Speaker 4 7:02

A rather polite looking drink, for the mischief it can cause.

Speaker 2 7:05

Well, we used to make a lot of money and a lot of side tips when drunks would come in and challenge me to drink half a bottle of sake in front of them or eat a golf ball sized piece of wasabi.

Speaker 4 7:19

Jesus, what an Ramadan. Yeah, and I made quite a bit of side money on that. It was a good side hustle.

Speaker 2 7:22

Yeah. I remember the guys that would come side money on that. It was a good side hustle yeah.

Speaker 3 7:26

I remember the guys that would come in and be like, oh, this is supposed to be hot. It's okay, I got it. No problem, and then they would just eat like a big old clump of wasabi and then be like water. Please, Can I get some water over here?

Speaker 2 7:38

I did tell my buddy John once that it was Japanese. Guacamole, guacamole, I told him it was Japanese guacamole and you know him being Mexican. He just took the whole thing and put it in his mouth.

Speaker 3 7:51

Oh no, he almost vomited all over the floor. Yeah, that's mean. Well then we proceeded to go drink a bunch of wine and Vietnamese liquor and he did get sick right in the j in the jello salad bowl done that oh anyway, sorry, john, that was a bad night you guys are still friends, yeah, okay, well then, it's all right mexico city, now might not be, I don't know where he is so, sersha, what are you drinking? Wait, did we already do that?

Speaker 2 8:27

Yeah, she already told us that her knickers were cold.

Speaker 3 8:30

Yeah, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

Speaker 4 8:32

Rude.

Speaker 3 8:33

I was distracted by something.

Speaker 2 8:36

We got to make a rule Everybody keeps their clothes on while we're doing the episodes.

Speaker 3 8:41

Yeah, sorry I'll put that back on. At least put the banana hammock on the leopard one or the zebra one. I like the red one. Okay, ladybug it is.

Speaker 2 8:54

All right, so what are we going to talk about today?

Speaker 3 8:58

I was hoping that we could talk about something like Tanuki Tanuki.

Speaker 2 9:03

Yeah, why would we? Oh, I see I love Tanuki. Yeah, you love Tanuki. I like Tanuki Tanuki. Yeah, why would we? Oh, I see I love Tanuki. Yeah, you love Tanuki. I love Tanuki. Tanuki is awesome and you have some Tanuki stories Tanuki and Kitsune. They have many adventures together. I think they might even have a podcast somewhere in this world if you look for them hard enough.

Speaker 4 9:22

And Kotelik and Amakos Mawla.

Speaker 2 9:25

What's that, Saoirse?

Speaker 4 9:26

Oh, I was saying, all this talk is taking away time from the stories.

Speaker 2 9:30

Do you always have to be negative, a negative Nelly?

Speaker 3 9:34

Let me shift how I'm sitting here on these big old things.

Speaker 2 9:40

I think, in addition to Tanuki, we should do something kind of spooky also. I think, in addition to Tanuki, we should do something kind of spooky also yeah. Yeah, we should have maybe a couple of Tanuki stories, maybe another story. Mm yeah.

Speaker 4 9:56

Well, okay then I was beginning to get a bit melancholy there.

Speaker 3 9:59

Melancholy, yeah, a little melancholy.

Speaker 4 10:01

Yeah, melancholy you know yeah what.

Speaker 2 10:02

Melancholy, it means sadancholy.

Speaker 4 10:03

You know, yeah what.

Speaker 2 10:04

Melancholy.

Speaker 4 10:05

It means sad.

Speaker 2 10:06

Attracts the Nigoare.

Speaker 4 10:09

What now?

Speaker 2 10:10

Nigoare.

Speaker 4 10:12

Oh, right then those freaks.

Speaker 2 10:14

It's kind of like a big ugly yokai with horns and hair all over its body and it's kind of green colored.

Speaker 4 10:23

Celadon.

Speaker 2 10:24

And, yeah, hair all over its body and it's kind of green colored. C'est la donne. And they've got these big kind of twisted mouths that are in this social snarl. Not a real smile but kind of this feigned, fake smile on their face all the time.

Speaker 4 10:37

These Yokoi have toxic positivity. Can you imagine telling that to the oni over there? Reframe your rage. Why don't you? You'd be reframed into a lovely red mist and he wouldn't be long about it. They're attracted to negative feelings and melancholy, ill-humored and Reminds me of a politician I once tricked into fornicating with a goat.

Speaker 2 10:58

Or a lawyer. They kind of remind me of lawyers.

Speaker 4 11:02

Oh, all the clever tricks, but none of the real fun of turning into a horse or leading someone on a merry chase through a bog anyway, uh, they've got these long claws and uh, they're poisonous and I'll let you're butchering it worse than the duke of cumberland.

Speaker 2 11:17

I'm kind of yeah, I'm butch, I know I'm butchering it.

The Nigawari: Laughter's Dark Side

Speaker 4 11:20

Hush now you don't have to put me down those negative comments you're giving us the bones don't help, but you've left the ghost out of it entirely and the Niawarai are attracted to that. You know that yeah, so let me tell it and I'll be peachy okay, please, then if you would, Welcome back to Uncanny Coffee Hour everyone. Today, we're venturing deep into the shadowed groves of Japanese folklore to uncover a yokai that finds its power not in fangs or claws, but in something far more unsettling laughter. We're talking about the nigawari, a curious creature indeed. Not all laughter brings joy, as this one reminds us.

Speaker 5 12:07

Our story begins with a young woman named Hana who lived in a small village nestled beside a sprawling bamboo forest. Hana was known for her cheerful disposition, her own laughter as bright and clear as a summer stream. But lately a shadow had fallen over her. Her older sister, yumi, who had always been quiet and reserved, had become even more withdrawn. Yumi would spend hours staring out the window, a strange, tight smile fixed on her lips, but her eyes held a deep, unreadable sadness. One evening, as dusk painted the sky in hues of purple and grey, hannah heard it, a peculiar rhythmic sound drifting from the direction of the bamboo forest. It was laughter, but not a joyful kind. It was strained, almost painful, as if someone were forcing out mirth. They did not feel Concerned for her sister who had taken to wandering near the forest edge.

Speaker 5 13:16

Hana decided to investigate. Before she did so, she mentioned it to the village elder, a wise old woman named Obasanfumi. Obasanfumi's face, usually crinkled with kind smiles, grew taut, the Nigawari. She whispered, her voice barely audible. The bitter laughter it is said to appear to those burdened by unspoken sorrow, those who force a smile to hide their pain. It offers a terrible kind of solace to laugh with it, to share in its empty mirth until your own true laughter is forgotten and you become just another echo in its chorus. The old woman explained that the Nigawarai wasn't malicious in the way a demon might be. It was more of a sorrowful entity drawn to concealed grief. It would appear often as a shadowy figure with an unnervingly wide, fixed grin and simply laugh its hollow laugh. Those who heard it, especially those already forcing their smiles, would feel an irresistible compulsion to join in their laughter becoming as empty and strained as the yokai's. Hana was terrified. She realized Yumi's strange, tight smiles and withdrawn nature were exactly the kind of hidden sorrow the Nikowari would seek.

Speaker 5 14:41

That night the laughter from the bamboo grove was louder, more insistent. Hana knew she had to act. Armed with nothing but a small lantern and a desperate hope, she crept towards the forest. She found Yumi standing just within the first few rows of bamboo. Her back to Hana, yumi was laughing that same strained, joyless sound. And before her, barely visible in the flickering lantern light, was a figure. It was tall and gaunt, draped in what looked like tattered robes, its features obscured by shadow, save for a wide, pale grin that seemed to stretch too far across its face the nigawari. It wasn't looking at Yumi but past her. Its head tilted as if listening to some distant, sorrowful tune, and it laughed. Yumi's shoulders shook with the forced laughter. It it understands. Yumi choked out between the hollow sounds. It knows the smile I have to wear.

Speaker 5 16:03

Hana, heart pounding, stepped forward. Yumi. She cried out, her voice trembling but clear. That's not real laughter, that's not you. The nigawari slowly turned its head, its grin unwavering. It didn't speak, but its presence was suffocating.

Speaker 5 16:25

The forced laughter intensified, pressing in on Hana, urging her to join. She felt the corners of her own mouth twitch. She felt a bizarre impulse to mimic the sound. But Hana thought of her sister, of genuine joy, of shared smiles that came from the heart. She focused on a memory Yumi and her as children laughing uncontrollably. She clung to that feeling, that pure, unforced happiness, yumi. Hana said her voice stronger now. Remember when we fell in the river trying to catch frogs? Remember how we laughed until our sides ached. That was real, this isn't.

Speaker 5 17:09

Slowly, yumi's forced laughter began to falter. She turned her eyes wide and filled with a dawning horror as she looked from the grinning yokai to her sister. The nigawara's laughter seemed to waver too, a flicker of something like surprise in its shadowy form. Hana rushed to Yumi's side, taking her hand. You don't have to force a smile, nisan, she said softly. You can share your sadness with me, you don't have to be alone with it.

Speaker 5 17:43

Tears began to stream down Yumi's face, washing away the tight, false smile. Real sobs full of pain and release shook her. As Yumi cried, the Nigawari's laughter faded, the oppressive atmosphere lessened. The shadowy figure of the yokai seemed to recede its grin, looking less like a threat and more like a mask of its own sorrow. With a final, almost sighing he it dissolved into the deeper shadows of the bamboo, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the sound of Yumi's genuine, cleansing tears.

Speaker 5 18:21

Yumi, leaning on Hana, finally confessed the source of her hidden grief a lost love, a broken dream she felt she couldn't share. In speaking it, in allowing her true emotions to surface, the Nigawari's hold was broken. The Niggawarai's hold was broken, they say the Niggawarai still wanders, drawn to the places where smiles hide sorrow. It's a reminder, perhaps, that true strength isn't in always appearing happy, but in having the courage to be honest with our feelings and to share our burdens with those who care, because sometimes the most uncanny horrors are the ones we create within ourselves by refusing to let our true emotions see the light of day.

Mental Health and Forced Smiles

Speaker 3 19:21

Wow, that made me think about mental health issues, kind of also about how like society makes us feel like we can't really express ourselves. You have to always wear that smile Like. I kind of felt a little bit sorry for the yokai, for the nigawari, yeah.

Speaker 2 19:37

Yeah, I mean, we all kind of do it. People say, hey, how you doing, and you're expected to say, hey, I'm doing, great how you doing. Yeah, you don't even think, but I'm great how you. And I don't know if I told you, but my last session with my VA counselors this Monday.

Speaker 3 19:53

Oh, congratulations, thank you.

Speaker 2 19:55

Thank you. I had to go in and see her for about a year. I had to go in and see her for about a year. It was kind of mandated, but that's all right. Mandated, no, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 3 20:05

Should I be more scared?

Speaker 2 20:06

No, but when I did go in and get my rating, I had to talk to the doctor and she gave me this little form to fill out and I think it was a cognitive form, kind of like the president has to go through. Yeah, and on this particular one, there were man think it was a cognitive form, kind of like the the president has to go through and yeah and uh, on this particular one there man woman tv well, there were, there were four animals, uh-huh it was like a camel, uh, a dog, a tiger and a rhinoceros.

Speaker 2 20:34

okay, and the the doctor, uh, she says to me so what are these animals called? And I said, uh, well, I don't know, I haven't been introduced to them yet, but as soon as I get their names I'll let you know.

Speaker 2 20:47

She says yes, we've already determined you have an inappropriate sense of humor. That's not inappropriate. I didn't think so either, so you know. She says please write their names beneath them. And I wrote camel, dog, tiger, rhino, and she said this is how you spell rhinoceros. I said oh, come on, who the hell knows how to spell rhinoceros? She says you do have a PhD, do you not?

Speaker 3 21:15

Not in spelling.

Speaker 2 21:16

No, exactly I use spell check for that kind of shit.

Speaker 3 21:20

Who knows how to spell rhinoceros, I mean really, it's knows how to spell rhinoceros.

Speaker 2 21:22

I mean, really, it's not like I spell rhinoceros every day, right?

Speaker 4 21:26

Even in the world of the fae, a forced smile is a heavy burden. Oh, better a true tear than a false laugh. I always say I like to feel a bit better by hanging out with you two idgits.

Speaker 3 21:39

It tickles me funny bone and it's better than eating vegetarian. Yeah, and we'll post the suicide hotline number on the website. I'm thinking just to have it there. I think it's a good idea anyway, um, you know it is, it is I encourage anybody that feels like you need help. Reach out.

Speaker 4 21:54

Sounds good, yep okay, boys, are you ready for another tale of the uncanny? Let's stir the pout a little and get the show on the road uh okay, hey, I want to hear about tanuki.

Bunbuku Chagama: The Tanuki Teapot

Speaker 3 22:07

I I brought up tanuki at the beginning. You guys have both brushed me off. I want to hear about tanuki. Tanuki is the coolest, as you know.

Speaker 4 22:14

Yeah, tanuki is good a lovely mischief maker with huge ghoulies.

Speaker 2 22:18

Should bring a smile. Also. There is a story that I know.

Speaker 3 22:22

Oh well, you know what? Speaking of stirring pots, or perhaps being a pot, I heard a classic Japanese folk story. It's about a tanuki, a Buddhist monastery, and a rather extraordinary teapot. I'm trying to remember what it's called.

Speaker 2 22:42

You're talking about Bunbuku Chagama? Yeah, that's it the teapot in the monastery story yes, yes, yes. The Morinja Monastery. That's one of my favorites, actually. Many of you have probably heard it, maybe not. If not, let's go listen to one.

Speaker 4 22:59

I often depicted with impressive charm, scrotal fortitude, shall we say, useful for all sorts of things in their legends, from raincoats to fishing nets. But that's a tale for another time. Perhaps this one's a bit more domestic, at least to start.

Speaker 3 23:16

Exactly so. Settle in, grab your favorite mug. Hopefully it doesn't sprout legs. Let's journey to the Minji Monastery.

Speaker 2 23:33

Our story begins in a quiet old monastery called Morinji, nestled beside a whispering bamboo grove. The monks there lived a simple life of prayer, meditation and daily chores. One crisp autumn day the head priest realized their ancient cracked teapot was well past its prime. He sent a young acolyte to the nearby town to fetch a new one. The acolyte returned with a rather handsome bronze teapot, a chagama. It wasn't flashy but it felt sturdy, well-made. The monks were pleased and quickly put it to use boiling water for their tea ceremonies and daily needs.

Speaker 3 24:30

But soon strange things started happening around this new teapot.

Speaker 4 24:37

Oh, did they now? It would be left on the hearth, only to be found on a different shelf entirely. Sometimes it would bubble and steam with a life of its own, even when the fire beneath it was just embers. The monk in charge of the kitchen, a nervous fellow named Kenji, swore he once saw tiny furry feet peeking out from under it, vanishing in a blink.

Speaker 2 25:01

The strangest event occurred one afternoon during a particularly solemn tea ceremony, the teapot sitting innocuously over the coals suddenly sprouted a bushy tail Poof Gasp.

Speaker 3 25:19

The monks were stunned. Then a furry tanuki head popped out from where the lid should be, its mischievous eyes blinking at the assembly. Before anyone could even utter a prayer or a curse, the head and tail vanished. Poof. It was just a teapot again, though it seemed to be vibrating with suppressed laughter.

Speaker 4 25:47

The head priest, a wise old soul who knew a thing or two about the spirits and creatures of the land, suspected the truth. He gathered the monks, my brothers. He said, his voice calm. It seems our new teapot is not a teapot at all, but a tanuki in disguise. Let us treat it with kindness. Tanuki are not inherently evil, merely fond of a good jest.

Speaker 2 26:12

The monks, though initially a bit spooked, were also rather intrigued. A magical teapot. They started leaving out small offerings a saucer of good sake, a few choice mushrooms near the hearth. The teapot seemed to appreciate this. The strange occurrences became less startling and more playful. Sometimes it would perform little wobbling dances on the hearth when no one was looking too closely. Its bronze surface shimmering.

Speaker 3 26:47

One day, a traveling performer arrived at Morinji seeking shelter for the night. He was a puppeteer and an acrobat Just like me, but his luck had been poor and his spirits were low. My spirits are low. The monks, wanting to offer him some cheer, decided to let him in on their secret.

Speaker 4 27:09

Our teapot. The head priest explained to the astonished performer, his eyes twinkling is actually a gifted tanuki named Shukaku. Perhaps he?

Speaker 2 27:21

could be of some assistance to your act.

Speaker 3 27:22

Shukaku or that was the teapot's name, who had been listening intently from his teapot disguise, seemed to ponder this then, with a dramatic flourish of steam, he transformed fully into his tanuki form, a portly, cheerful creature with a wide, infectious grin, to everyone's utter amazement, shukaku was a fantastic acrobat and dancer. He could walk a tightrope strung between two prayer strands, juggle persimmons with incredible dexterity and perform hilarious pantomimes that had the stoic monks clutching their sides with laughter.

Speaker 2 28:16

The performer was overjoyed. This was the miracle act he needed. He proposed that Shukaku join him. Shukaku, who clearly loved an audience and the thrill of performance, readily agreed. The monks, though a little sad to see their magical teapot friend go, knew it was for the best. They gave Shukaku their blessings and a generous portion of sweet rice cakes for the journey.

Speaker 3 28:47

And so Shukaku and the performer traveled the length and breadth of Japan. Their act, the miraculous dancing teapot because Shukaku often began his performance in teapot form before his grand reveal drew enormous crowds. Shukaku brought laughter and a touch of wonder wherever he went, and the performer well.

Speaker 2 29:10

He became quite wealthy. They welcomed him back with open arms and hearts. Shukaku, no longer needing to hide his true nature, lived out his days at the monastery. Sometimes he was tanuki, sharing stories with the younger acolytes, and sometimes, just for old time's sake, he'd curl up as a contented bronze teapot by the hearth. He was always a beloved member of their community.

Speaker 3 29:45

The Morinji Monastery. Did I say that right? Yes, morinji. The Morinji Monastery became known far and wide for its association with the magical Tanuki teapot, a testament to the surprising wonders that can arise from simple kindness and an open mind. And they say even to this day. The temple of Morinji-numa in Guma Prefecture is said to house the legendary Bambuku Chagama. That was a charming story.

Speaker 4 30:26

Adorable.

Speaker 3 30:27

It had that wonderful blend of folklore humor and a really sweet message about acceptance.

Speaker 2 30:33

I think Abso-friggin-lutely, and it makes you look twice at your kitchenware. I mean, doesn't it? Grime you never know what might be hiding. In plain sight Bugs, I mean my kettle.

Speaker 4 30:44

Blood.

Speaker 2 30:45

It's been looking a little shifty lately. You might want to clean it. I said shifty, not shitty, oh, okay.

Speaker 4 30:53

Aye, kindness is a potent magic, often more powerful than any spell. And who wouldn't want a teapot that can do a jig, though I imagine it makes pouring a bit of a challenge mid-dance, I imagine it makes pouring a bit of a challenge mid-dance.

Speaker 2 31:07

Okay, we got time for another one.

Speaker 4 31:09

We're over yeah.

Speaker 2 31:10

No, yeah, we got, no, we still got.

Speaker 4 31:12

No time? Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 2 31:13

We got time.

Speaker 4 31:13

You'll talk until the stones grow moss.

Gengoro: The Sake-Loving Tanuki

Speaker 2 31:15

So one of my favorites also. This one comes from the Tokuridani Valley. Easy for you to say Tokuridani Valley, Easy for you to say Tokuridani. Saints preserve us, okay, this one comes from the Tokuridani Valley, which, fittingly enough, translates to the Sake Flask Valley.

Speaker 3 31:38

I like the sound of that already.

Speaker 4 31:40

Sake Bob, that sounds too good to be true.

Speaker 2 31:42

Tokuridani, tokuridani, yep you got it, saoirse, it was too good to be true.

Speaker 4 31:45

Tokuridani, tokuridani.

Speaker 2 31:47

Yep, you got it, saoirse.

Speaker 4 31:48

Lift them shirts and slap those tummies to start us off. Tanuki style boys.

Speaker 3 31:54

All right.

Speaker 2 32:03

I think we're having too much fun with this, yeah.

Speaker 4 32:06

Tanuki style. Oh my goodness, the agents All right.

Speaker 3 32:14

Our story begins in Tokuridani Valley, a lush, hidden place famous for its clear springs and the wild grapes that grew in abundance, making it a haven for well amateur brewers of all sorts. I know a few of those yeah, me too Including the local Tanuki population. The most notorious of these was an old Tanuki known only as Gengoro.

Speaker 2 32:43

Gengoro wasn't a bad sort not really, but he was certainly mischievous. And he had two great loves in his life Finely aged sake and playing tricks on humans who occasionally ventured into his valley to gather herbs or firewood. His favorite trick involved his remarkable ability to shapeshift.

Speaker 4 33:13

Oh, gengoro could be anything A mossy stone by the path, a beautiful woman beckoning travelers towards a non-existent inn, or, most commonly, a Jizo statue, one of those little stone guardians you see by the roadside. He'd wait until a pious traveler left a small offering of rice cakes or a coin, then poof.

Speaker 3 33:36

The offering would be gone and the statue would have mysteriously vanished, leaving the traveler bewildered. The local sake brewer, a grumpy but hardworking man named Kichibai, close enough.

Speaker 2 33:52

Close enough.

Speaker 3 33:53

Is it Suffered from Gengoro's antics? Kichibai would often leave flasks of his newest brew outside his workshop to cool in the evening air.

Speaker 2 34:06

You can guess what happened next, can't you? More often than not, kichibé would come out in the morning to find a flask or two significantly lighter, or sometimes entirely empty, with only a few stray tanuki hairs and the faint, lingering scent of sake-fueled revelry as evidence.

Speaker 4 34:29

Kichube would shake his fist at the forest, cursing that thieving gengaro, but he never could catch the crafty tanuki. He set traps, but gengaro, often disguised as a harmless rabbit or a flitting butterfly, would simply lead Kichube on a merry chase until the brewer gave up in exhaustion.

Speaker 3 34:49

One year, a terrible drought struck the region. The springs in Tokorodani Valley began to dry up, the wild grapes withered on the vine and even Kichibai's well was running dangerously low. Despair settled over the village. Kichibai feared he wouldn't be able to brew any sake, for an autumn festival was running dangerously low.

Speaker 2 35:12

Despair, settled over the village, kichibai feared he wouldn't be able to brew any sake for an autumn festival, a crucial event for the community's spirits and economy. Even Gengoro felt the pinch. His favorite hidden streams were mere trickles and the forest was unusually quiet For the first time. The old tanuki wasn't in the mood for pranks. He missed the gurgle of full flasks and the happy songs of the villagers during the brewing season.

Speaker 3 35:35

It just happens when you get older. Yeah, it's a little more of a trickle, less of a stream.

Speaker 4 35:42

Jasis, am I telling a story with 12-year-olds? One sweltering afternoon, kichibé sat dejectedly outside his workshop staring at his last, nearly empty water barrel. Suddenly he saw a large, rather plump toad hopping slowly towards the forest. But there was something odd about this toad. It seemed to be carrying a small woven leaf basket on its back.

Speaker 3 36:06

Kichibay, curious despite his gloom, followed it. The toad hopped with surprising agility deep into a part of the valley. Kitchibay had never explored A place where the rocks were slick with moss, even in drought. It disappeared into a dark crevasse behind a curtain of ivy. Do you say crevice or crevasse? Crevasse, crevice is what you say, yeah, crevasse. I sound cooler, though, if I say crevasse.

Speaker 2 36:34

Well, you're looking at slick rock and a slick crevice behind a curtain.

Speaker 3 36:39

Children, I tell you, Kitschibai hesitated, then pushed the ivy aside, as any man should. Kichibai hesitated, then pushed the ivy aside as any man should.

Speaker 2 36:48

I'm leaving that in. You know, inside was a small hidden grotto and there, in the dim light, was a tiny crystal clear spring still flowing steadily. And beside the spring, no longer a toad, but in his true form, his true tanuki form, was Gengoro carefully filling small gourds with water.

Speaker 4 37:10

Gengoro looked up, startled sake gourds dropping from his paws. He clearly expected Kichibé to be furious, but Kichibé just stared at the spring, then at Gengoro, who was now trying to look very small and innocent, his big belly comically deflating.

Speaker 3 37:27

Gengoro Kichibé said his voice hoarse Is this, is this where you've been getting water? Gingoro nodded sheepishly, pointing a claw towards the village. He then made gestures of pouring water into a large barrel, then drinking sake and patting his belly happily.

Speaker 2 37:50

Kichibé understood Gengoro, the sake-loving trickster, had found a secret spring and had been in his own tanuki way trying to ensure there would still be sake. Perhaps he'd even been borrowing Kichibé's flasks to secretly share the precious water with the other smaller forest creatures.

Speaker 4 38:12

Kichibe wasn't a man prone to sentiment, but a reluctant smile touched his lips. He didn't scold Gengoro. Instead he said well, old rogue, it seems you're not entirely useless this spring. It could save us.

Speaker 3 38:29

And it did. Working together, an unlikely alliance of grumpy brewer and mischievous Tanuki, they managed to pipe enough water from the secret spring to Kichibai's workshop. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Kichibai brewed a special batch of sake, not as much as usual, but precious nonetheless. He called it Tanuki's Gift.

Speaker 2 38:53

At the autumn festival. When Kichibé told the story, the villagers were astonished and that night they left out an extra large flask of Tanuki's Gift at the edge of the forest. In the morning the flask was empty, with just a single, perfectly ripe wild grape left beside it.

Speaker 3 39:14

A tanuki's thank you it was just a little turd why would he leave a?

Speaker 2 39:21

grape well it might have been one of those big japanese grapes. Oh, which would be cool. Yeah, that would be. I just planted some of those big Japanese grapes, which would be cool.

Speaker 3 39:27

Yeah, that would be cool.

Speaker 2 39:27

I just planted some of those by the way.

Speaker 3 39:28

Oh, yeah, anyway, back to the story oh yeah, Sorry yeah.

Speaker 4 39:35

Gengoro never stopped his pranks entirely. Of course, he was a tanuki after all. But from that day on there was a new understanding between him and Kichibei, and sometimes, on quiet nights, the brewer would swear. He heard a faint drumming from Tokuradani Valley, a happy rhythm that sounded suspiciously like a tanuki patting a very full, very satisfied belly.

Speaker 3 39:58

And that's the tale of Gengoro, the tanuki of Tokuradani Valley, A bit of a rascal but with a good heart under all that fur and mischief.

Speaker 2 40:14

I really love that. I mean it kind of shows that tricksters can have their moments of you know, not really heroism but helpfulness, you know, in their own unique way.

Speaker 3 40:25

He was a hero. Come on.

Speaker 2 40:29

He provided sake. Yeah, I wonder what he swirled around in the sake to make it to his gift.

Speaker 4 40:34

I think he added a little gift to their, his grapes, it's grapes now that would be one way to keep orders from drinking your drink it is a powerful motivator.

Speaker 2 40:46

So, uh, what are we going to talk about next time?

Speaker 3 40:49

Well, they'll just have to tune in and find out. Stay uncanny. Everyone Drink your coffee or tea or sake.

Speaker 4 41:01

That's right Hydrate.

Speaker 3 41:03

Or tea, or both, or all three.

Speaker 2 41:05

Yeah, whatever you feel like you want to take us out of here?

Speaker 3 41:09

we don't we don't kink shame.

Speaker 2 41:11

They can drink all three if they want if you want to have a threesome of coffee, tea and sake, that's fine with me, oh that reminds me of this party I went to in 1773.

Speaker 4 41:21

There was tea and roe fleas flying everywhere. There was Grandpa Spuds.

Speaker 2 41:25

I love Grandpa Spuds.

Speaker 4 41:26

Okay, then the Orating Octogenarian. It is Hold me drink.

Speaker 2 41:29

Alrighty.

Closing and Credits

Speaker 4 41:31

No, hold on to it, you're going to spill it. Yeah, thank you kindly. Okay, here goes. Thanks for listening. Join us next time.

Speaker 2 41:42

Remember never whistle at night and, above all else, remember we are not all monsters.

Speaker 3 42:21

Thanks to all of our listeners out there.

Speaker 2 42:24

Uncanny Coffee Hour is produced by Bob Masson and.

Speaker 3 42:28

Mitch Kiyotakitsune. Executive producer. Gracie the Wonder Dog.

Speaker 2 42:33

Woof, woof. Uncanny Coffee Hour is copyright protected by all laws, foreign, domestic and uber-natural by the Unseelie Court. Yup, yeah, yup, yeah. That'd be great. Yup, let's go then, all right.