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Very cute, and not an animal I was familiar with, so I decided to do a quick bit of research. Here are my favorite factoids:

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 or empty purse in the other hand. Tanuki statues always have large bellies. The statues also usually show humorously large testicles, typically hanging down to the floor or ground, although this feature is sometimes omitted in contemporary sculpture.

A common schoolyard song in Japan makes explicit reference to the tanuki's anatomy:

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

Roughly translated, this means, Tan-tan-tanuki's testicles, there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing.

It continues 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?".

Is Japan a great country, or what?

Very cute, and not an animal I was familiar with, so I decided to do a quick bit of research.

Another factoid: In Super Mario Brothers 3, one of the best designed video games of my era, when Mario grabbed the leaf to gain the ability to fly, he's called "Tanuki Mario." And all the while we just called him "Racoon Mario."

Anyway, I'm still curious what the creationist take on Tanukis is. I mean... What are they? Racoons? Dogs? Badgers? Surely they have a simple answer.

A common schoolyard song in Japan makes explicit reference to the tanuki's anatomy

My favorite display of the tanuki's anatomy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq8xuVnB-Pk

(from 0:26)