JAPAN • Tanuki Tea Paw-ty

Deep in the bamboo garden, where the tea kettles softly sing and little lanterns sway in the breeze, a curious Tanuki wandered in hoping for a snack. The Tanuki below, is a “raccoon dog” from Japan Instead, he discovered an entire tea paw-ty. Waiting for him was a fluffy Chow wrapped in a bright koi kimono, tiny mochi treats dusted with sweet rice flour, and warm green tea poured into cheerful little cups. Soot the cat supervised from nearby, of course… mostly making sure nobody dropped the mochi.