This Is Why Japan Is Now Infested with Raccoons

Given that they’re not native, how did so many get there?

Oct 17, 2024

a raccoon standing on a wooden platform next to a tree — Photo by Leo Bayard on Unsplash

Raccoons are undeniably cute, with a reputation for rascal-like behaviour. And it was precisely these qualities that led to their huge popularity in Japan - prompted by a 1970s TV show.

Unfortunately, Japan now has a serious raccoon problem that is spreading. The critters have already become naturalized in 44 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. And they’re proving to be major pests, eating both crops and indigenous species such as the Ezo salamander and the Japanese crayfish. In addition, the raccoons have even damaged around 80% of Japan’s temples.

Given that raccoons aren’t native to Japan, how did this situation arise?

The first raccoons were brought to Japan after the success of a TV show

In 1963, Sterling North's book Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era was published. The story was based on North’s real childhood experiences, including his year-long adoption of a baby raccoon. The novel was a massive hit, and Disney even made a live-action movie based on it.

However, it was the release of Rascal the Raccoon (Araiguma Rasakaru) in 1977 that changed everything in Japan. Rascal the Raccoon was a 52-episode anime series released by the Nippon Animation Company and was based on the American book. It ran for a year and featured a boy called Sterling, who had a series of adventures with his animal sidekick, Rascal. The series was a huge hit.

Rascal the Raccoon (Araiguma Rasakaru) Image: IMDB.com

In fact, it was so popular that almost immediately, the Japanese started to import raccoons from North America at a rate of around 1500 a month.

What went wrong?

Ironically, if people had finished either the book or the show, they would have learned the lesson young Sterling did: raccoons are wild animals and don’t make good pets.

Spoiler alert - at the end of the story, Sterling discovers that when raccoons reach adulthood, their behaviour goes beyond cheeky and becomes destructive. Reluctantly, the boy has to release his companion back into the wild.

By the time thousands of Japanese families learned that their previously adorable pets were nightmares as adults, it was too late. Tens of thousands of raccoons were already found throughout the country.

Adult raccoons can become quite large and aggressive. This is obviously not their fault, as it is just their nature. But owners were faced with a tricky dilemma — either euthanise their cute but angry pet or release it into the wild.

Despite the fact that the raccoons grew increasingly wild as they matured, people had still bonded with them and were reluctant to have them put down. In North’s story, Rascal is released back into nature, and that’s the option most Japanese chose.

Additional problems stemmed from the fact that Sterling North lived in America where the ecosystem had evolved with the charming critters. That isn’t the case for Japan’s habitats and native species.

Forty-five years on, and they’ve become a serious problem in Japan

The Japanese government was quick to ban imports, but it was already too late.

Thousands had already been released into the wild, and raccoons are a smart and adaptive species. As many Americans know, the animals are omnivorous and aren’t at all fussy about what they eat. They also have what has been described as a “polygamous or promiscuous mating system” - aka, they breed quickly.

Raccoons have been placed on the Japanese Environment Ministry’s list of invasive species that cause trouble for the country’s flora and fauna. Haruka Yamaguchi, part of the ministry’s Task Force for Countermeasures Against Invasive Species, recently said in an interview with DW:

“Our research shows that raccoons have expanded their habitats threefold in the last decade.”

With no natural predators, a high reproductive rate, and abundant food, raccoons are an ever-increasing problem.

How much damage are they causing?

In cities, raccoons are pests that damage gardens and property, rip open bins, and generally cause a nuisance. They steal fruit, fish, and anything else they can get their tiny thieving hands on. They’ve even been known to attack people and pets.

In the countryside, things are even worse.

Raccoons cause an estimated $300,000 (USD) of damage to Japanese agriculture yearly due to crop destruction. The animals are also one of the leading causes of damage done to many of the older wooden houses and historic temples that are still common outside cities.

Furthermore, as their numbers rise, the raccoons are starting to push out some of the native species. For example, they are particularly fond of bird eggs.

Ironically, one of those suffering the most is an animal called the tanuki, also known as the Japanese raccoon dog.

A tanuki, aka Japanese raccoon dog.

Tanuki don’t just look like raccoons - they are a similar size and compete for the same resources. However, they are a completely different species who sadly aren’t as agile or adaptive as raccoons, and their turf is being encroached upon.

What is being done about the problem?

In the same interview with DW, Haruka Yamaguchi of the Environment Ministry said:

“We are providing funds to prefectures so they can produce booklets and other literature to educate people about stopping raccoons spreading into more areas, while the farm ministry is providing funds for electric fences and other deterrents.

It is a constant battle.”

Some prefectures have been trying to cull the raccoons and kill thousands every year. At best, though, they’re just controlling the numbers. Actually solving the issue has proven difficult and surprisingly controversial.

Like foxes in many countries, the issue is divisive. Some are firmly in favour of culling the creatures — especially in the countryside. But there’s strong opposition from animal rights advocates and those still enamoured with the creatures.

Rascal the Raccoon is still incredibly popular

Despite all the issues and problems, the Japanese still love Rascal the Raccoon. He appears on lots of merchandise, including stuffed dolls, mobile phones, stickers, and more.

In 2017, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the anime series premiere, Nippon Animation opened a pop-up shop devoted to Rascal. Additionally, as part of the celebration, the Tokyo Anime Center held an exhibition of artefacts and art relating to the show. Rascal even appears in other anime, including the highly popular very different Attack on Titan.

Over four decades after it aired, Rascal the Raccoon has left an indelible mark on Japan and it isn’t a good one. And its influence is, sadly, likely to remain for decades more.