Tanuki

Today we got up early and went to Tetsugaku no michi (the philosophers path) and spent about an hour at Ginkaku-ji. However no decent pictures were taken because both Ruby and I were rendered quite unwell by Japan's new vandal/loitering deterrent.

All across Japan, we have sporadically come across a horrendously high pitched noise (sounds a bit like having squeaky clean dental drill being inserted into the base of you skull and pushed up behind your eyes). We usually hear it at the same time but sometimes Ruby can hear it when I can't and usually louder. It's supposed to be only audible to teenagers but today in the temple grounds was the worst it's ever been. It was grim, I was sick , dizzy, pounding headache, we were pretty poorly for the rest of the day and made our way home fairly soon after.
Appallingly, it's actually a British technology, called the Mosquito, that's currently being used! That can not be good for you!

Anyway, this little fellow is Tanuki and he's abundant in Japan, you see him everywhere.
In Japanese folklore the Tanuki has great physical strength and supernatural powers. He is a master of shapeshifting and disguise and is a mischievous creature. He will perform various tricks to get such things as saké, food, or women.
A common schoolyard song in Japan is this:

Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,
Kaze mo nai no ni,
Bura bura

Roughly translated, this means "Tan-tan-tanuki's/Raccoon-raccoon-raccoon dog's testicles, there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing". It then proceeds to continue for several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the melody of an American Baptist hymn called Shall We Gather At The River.

Priceless.