Is the 'Tanuki' Booming in Popularity Now? The Unprecedented Tanuki Book 'Tanuki Marugoto BOOK' Achieves 'Japan's No. 1' on Rakuten and Best-Seller No. 1 in 12 Amazon Categories, Releasing on May 1st
Tatsumi Publishing will release "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" on May 1st, a book supervised by zoologist Tadaaki Imaizumi. This book has garnered significant attention even before its release, achieving the overall No. 1 spot for books on Rakuten and best-seller No. 1 in 12 Amazon categories, introducing the ecology and charm of tanuki.
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On May 1st, "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" will be released by Tatsumi Publishing.
This book thoroughly explains the charm and ecology of Ezo Tanuki and Honshu Tanuki living in Japan. It richly illustrates their wild lives, habits, and Japanese zoos where you can meet tanuki. Zoologist Tadaaki Imaizumi, who conducts research on wildlife such as tanuki in Japan, supervised the book. Some of his fieldwork is introduced in this book.
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
▶Amazon Page
Tanuki are familiar animals to Japanese people. They live not only in forests and satoyama (rural landscapes) but also in urban areas, and are often spotted in residential neighborhoods. They also frequently appear in folk tales and legends such as "Kachi-kachi Yama" and "Bunbuku Chagama," deeply rooted in Japanese culture as beings with various characteristics such as humor, cunning, and eeriness.
Meanwhile, recently, posts about tanuki have increasingly become hot topics on social media.
An episode posted by Kashio Kine, a Vtuber active in Fukushima Prefecture, about a tanuki caught in a bear trap that froze, saying "The tanuki is finished..." despite being able to escape through a gap in the fence, has been viewed over 96 million times.
This book includes a special interview with Kashio Kine, who says she has "70 years of experience with tanuki." She talks about heartwarming episodes with tanuki she encountered in satoyama and her favorite tanuki.
Photo adopted for the cover of "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" (Photo courtesy of Obihiro Zoo)
The striking cover photo features an Ezo Tanuki from Obihiro Zoo (Hokkaido). It's a charming photo taken by the Ezo Tanuki caretaker at the same zoo, showing off its fluffy winter fur, sparkling eyes, and glossy nose.
The main body of the book also includes a precious growth record of five baby tanuki rescued at Obihiro Zoo.
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
In addition, 19 facilities across Japan that exhibit and breed tanuki are introduced. These include "Genmai" (Kawasaki City Yumemigasaki Zoological Park), who received many messages of support and congratulations from fans when his exhibition temporarily ceased due to poor health in March and then resumed, and the rare white individual "Bunbuku" (Shirotori Zoo), showcasing a variety of unique tanuki.
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" achieved best-seller No. 1 in 12 Amazon categories during its reservation phase and the overall No. 1 spot in Rakuten Books' daily ranking on April 1, 2026. The fixed price is 1,760 yen (tax included). It will be available from May 1st at bookstores nationwide and online bookstores.
*Amazon Book Rankings: No. 1 in "Animals & Plants," "Zoology," "Science," "General Pets," "Environmental Protection," "Environment & Ecology," "Social Pathology," "General Society," "Thought & Society Books," "Learning," "Drills for Toddlers," and "Early Childhood Education" categories (as of April 3, 2026, according to Tatsumi Publishing)*
＜Book Information＞
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
Title: Tanuki Marugoto BOOK
Supervised by: Tadaaki Imaizumi
Edited by: Shunsuke Minamihaba
Published by: Tatsumi Publishing (Tatsumi Mook)
Release Date: May 1, 2026
Price: 1,760 yen (1,600 yen + tax)
Format: A4 modified size (210×282mm) / 96 pages / Full color
▶Purchase on Amazon
▶Purchase on Rakuten Books
＜Facilities featured in this book＞
Obihiro Zoo (Obihiro City, Hokkaido)
Asahiyama Zoo (Asahikawa City, Hokkaido)
Maruyama Zoo (Sapporo City, Hokkaido)
Kitakitsune Farm (Kitami City, Hokkaido)
Morioka City Zoo ZOOMO (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture)
Yagiyama Zoological Park Fujisaki no Mori (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Kiryu Gaoka Zoo (Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture)
Tobu Zoo (Minamisaitama District, Saitama Prefecture)
Kawasaki City Yumemigasaki Zoological Park (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Chausuyama Zoo (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture)
Ouchiyama Zoo (Watarai District, Mie Prefecture)
Nagoya City Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
Toyohashi Comprehensive Zoo and Botanical Park Nonhoi Park (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)
Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park (Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture)
Shirotori Zoo (Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture)
Itouzu no Mori Park (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Kagoshima City Hirakawa Zoological Park (Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture)
Ikeda Zoo (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture)
Shunan City Tokuyama Zoo (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
＜About the Supervisor＞
Tadaaki Imaizumi
Zoologist. Director of the Japan Institute for Scientific Research of Animals. Born in Tokyo in 1944. Graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries (now Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology). Studied mammalian taxonomy and ecology at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Participated in ecological surveys of the Iriomote wildcat by the Ministry of Education (now Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). Served as an animal commentator at Ueno Zoo.
This book thoroughly explains the charm and ecology of Ezo Tanuki and Honshu Tanuki living in Japan. It richly illustrates their wild lives, habits, and Japanese zoos where you can meet tanuki. Zoologist Tadaaki Imaizumi, who conducts research on wildlife such as tanuki in Japan, supervised the book. Some of his fieldwork is introduced in this book.
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
▶Amazon Page
Tanuki are familiar animals to Japanese people. They live not only in forests and satoyama (rural landscapes) but also in urban areas, and are often spotted in residential neighborhoods. They also frequently appear in folk tales and legends such as "Kachi-kachi Yama" and "Bunbuku Chagama," deeply rooted in Japanese culture as beings with various characteristics such as humor, cunning, and eeriness.
Meanwhile, recently, posts about tanuki have increasingly become hot topics on social media.
An episode posted by Kashio Kine, a Vtuber active in Fukushima Prefecture, about a tanuki caught in a bear trap that froze, saying "The tanuki is finished..." despite being able to escape through a gap in the fence, has been viewed over 96 million times.
This book includes a special interview with Kashio Kine, who says she has "70 years of experience with tanuki." She talks about heartwarming episodes with tanuki she encountered in satoyama and her favorite tanuki.
Photo adopted for the cover of "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" (Photo courtesy of Obihiro Zoo)
The striking cover photo features an Ezo Tanuki from Obihiro Zoo (Hokkaido). It's a charming photo taken by the Ezo Tanuki caretaker at the same zoo, showing off its fluffy winter fur, sparkling eyes, and glossy nose.
The main body of the book also includes a precious growth record of five baby tanuki rescued at Obihiro Zoo.
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
In addition, 19 facilities across Japan that exhibit and breed tanuki are introduced. These include "Genmai" (Kawasaki City Yumemigasaki Zoological Park), who received many messages of support and congratulations from fans when his exhibition temporarily ceased due to poor health in March and then resumed, and the rare white individual "Bunbuku" (Shirotori Zoo), showcasing a variety of unique tanuki.
From "Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK" achieved best-seller No. 1 in 12 Amazon categories during its reservation phase and the overall No. 1 spot in Rakuten Books' daily ranking on April 1, 2026. The fixed price is 1,760 yen (tax included). It will be available from May 1st at bookstores nationwide and online bookstores.
*Amazon Book Rankings: No. 1 in "Animals & Plants," "Zoology," "Science," "General Pets," "Environmental Protection," "Environment & Ecology," "Social Pathology," "General Society," "Thought & Society Books," "Learning," "Drills for Toddlers," and "Early Childhood Education" categories (as of April 3, 2026, according to Tatsumi Publishing)*
＜Book Information＞
"Tanuki Marugoto BOOK"
Title: Tanuki Marugoto BOOK
Supervised by: Tadaaki Imaizumi
Edited by: Shunsuke Minamihaba
Published by: Tatsumi Publishing (Tatsumi Mook)
Release Date: May 1, 2026
Price: 1,760 yen (1,600 yen + tax)
Format: A4 modified size (210×282mm) / 96 pages / Full color
▶Purchase on Amazon
▶Purchase on Rakuten Books
＜Facilities featured in this book＞
Obihiro Zoo (Obihiro City, Hokkaido)
Asahiyama Zoo (Asahikawa City, Hokkaido)
Maruyama Zoo (Sapporo City, Hokkaido)
Kitakitsune Farm (Kitami City, Hokkaido)
Morioka City Zoo ZOOMO (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture)
Yagiyama Zoological Park Fujisaki no Mori (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Kiryu Gaoka Zoo (Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture)
Tobu Zoo (Minamisaitama District, Saitama Prefecture)
Kawasaki City Yumemigasaki Zoological Park (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Chausuyama Zoo (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture)
Ouchiyama Zoo (Watarai District, Mie Prefecture)
Nagoya City Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
Toyohashi Comprehensive Zoo and Botanical Park Nonhoi Park (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)
Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park (Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture)
Shirotori Zoo (Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture)
Itouzu no Mori Park (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Kagoshima City Hirakawa Zoological Park (Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture)
Ikeda Zoo (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture)
Shunan City Tokuyama Zoo (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
＜About the Supervisor＞
Tadaaki Imaizumi
Zoologist. Director of the Japan Institute for Scientific Research of Animals. Born in Tokyo in 1944. Graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries (now Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology). Studied mammalian taxonomy and ecology at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Participated in ecological surveys of the Iriomote wildcat by the Ministry of Education (now Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). Served as an animal commentator at Ueno Zoo.