logo
episode-header-image
Aug 19
40m 57s

Japan is Overrun By Raccoons Entirely Du...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

While the legendary Japanese raccoon dog -- or tanuki -- may look like a raccoon, it's a very different beast. However, these days Japan is home to actual raccoons: they're considered an invasive species, wreaking havoc across the country as they destroy temples, consume crops, and threaten indigenous wildlife. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover how these dastardly raccoons made it all the way over the Pacific to become an absolute menace to Japan. Spoiler: it all started with a cartoon about a boy and his furry sidekick, Rascal. Tune in to learn how a single show inspired thousands of Japanese families to acquire a raccoon of their own... only to meet with some serioulsy ridiculous consequences.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
The Dumbest Mobster Ever Tried To Steal Ruby Slippers
There are few pieces of film history more iconic than Dorothy's magic ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Yet, at first, the studio had no idea how valuable these would become. The multiple pairs of slippers languished in obscurity until costume department worker named Ke ... Show More
40m 23s
Oct 7
The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea
As one of the most isolated countries on the planet, it's no surprise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains mysterious in the modern day. So, how did it become a thing? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the bizarre origin story of the "Hermit Kingdom," a t ... Show More
48m 25s
Oct 4
CLASSIC: The Forty Elephants: London’s All-Female Jewel Thieves
For at least 200 years, part of London’s criminal underground was ruled by a gang of brilliant, all-female jewel thieves. In this week's classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise and fall of the notorious Forty Elephants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati ... Show More
42m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
Japanese in America
When the US turned to Japan for workers in the late 19th Century, they probably never foresaw that one day soon they would imprison those who arrived, their successors, and their families, en masse in camps around America. To hear about the Japanese American experience through hi ... Show More
51m 15s
Nov 2024
Raccoon Thanksgiving
After Toronto unveiled its "raccoon-resistant" compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals would be starved, but many more celebrated the innovative design. Rolling out this novel locked bin opened a new battlefront in city's ongoing "war on raccoons."Journalist Amy Demp ... Show More
27m 8s
Sep 2024
Japanese in America: Railroads, Internment Camps & Little Tokyo
When the US turned to Japan looking for workers in the late 19th Century, they probably never foresaw that one day soon they would imprison those who arrived, their successors, and their families, en masse in camps around America. To hear about the Japanese American experience th ... Show More
50 m
Dec 2019
Terrifying Tales of Japan
Japan is no stranger to rich folklore on various mythical beasts and urban legends, and not all of these stories are pleasant. Some tell of horrifying creatures. Others, about tyrannical demons. Join us today as we investigate the terrors in Japan. First, we'll take a voyage acro ... Show More
37m 38s
Jan 2025
Weebs
Weebs… and the people who hate them. Japan has always had a distinctive relationship with the West. But ever since it broke out on the global stage with its “gross national cool” - distributing an array of films, shows, video games, and toys the world over, Westerners have taken ... Show More
1 h
May 2024
Critter of the Week
International World Turtle Day was celebrated recently, a day to shellerbrate the magnificent turtles of the world and call attention to the many threats they face in our oceans. Turtles are threatened by plastic and chemical pollution in our oceans and human activity on land and ... Show More
13m 40s
May 2024
Episode 59: Yokai and Japanese Folklore with Thersa Matsuura
What do you know of the legendary spirits, creatures, and figures of Japanese folklore? And how have these figures found their way into every corner of our popular culture? Unspookable producer Nate DuFort sits down this week with Thersa Matsuura to find out more while discussing ... Show More
29m 42s
Apr 2024
Roars from the past: When wild tigers roamed Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s urban jungle was once regularly visited by wild tigers, with sightings of the big cats until the 1960s. While local history books only mention tiger killings in 1915 and 1942, the animals appear in oral accounts, newspapers and John Saeki's 2022 book The Last Tigers o ... Show More
19 m
Mar 2025
Pourquoi le Japon est-il resté à l'écart du monde pendant plus de 200 ans ?
Entre le début du XVIIe siècle et le milieu du XIXe siècle, le Japon a connu une période d’isolement volontaire connue sous le nom de sakoku – littéralement « pays verrouillé ». Cette politique, instaurée par le shogunat Tokugawa en 1639, a duré plus de deux siècles, jusqu’à l’ou ... Show More
3m 7s
Nov 2023
Kid News This Week: Wild “super pigs,” attacking bears, whales return home, snake on the loose
In world news this week… Wild “super pigs” are on the rampage in North America, bears are on attack in rural Japan, blue whales return home to the Indian Ocean and a green mamba venomous snake is on the loose in the Netherlands - all that and more this week! 
17m 1s