Really Weird Japanese Shadow Pictures from the Edo Period

We all know that the Japanese can be weird sometimes. Really weird. Well, it turns out that their craziness is not a modern phenomenon - it's been around since at least the feudal period! Consider this: the Kage-e or shadow pictures, a popular form of woodblock print from the Edo period.

These pictures consist of two parts: a “shadow” image and a “real” image. The shadow image, which typically bears the shape of a common, easily identifiable object, is viewed first. The real image, viewed second, reveals the surprising true identity of the shadow.

The kage-e above is by ukiyoe master Kuniyoshi (ca. 1852). The shadow looks like goldfish, but it's actually flying tanuki (raccoon dog) crushing a man with its giant testicles!

Pink Tentacles blog has more: Link


More classic Japanese tanuki and their super testes:
http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/raccoon%20Dogs%20(R209).htm

L, I imagine testacles are obstacles of the testicular sort!
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These are amazing! I just have to wonder, though, if you are attacked by a set of huge nads, would you want to live through it and actually attempt to ever live it down?
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Giant testicles?

They should't have put the pictures right beside each other like that. Could have come up with a better way to reveal the "real" images. Some were pretty good.

Giant testicles?
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The Studio Ghibli Feature length cartoon "Pom Poko" was a about Tanuki's. Aside from the scrotal battle there realy are quite a few gorgeous scenes and the english dub is acted pretty well.
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