Why did the Tanukis put leaves on their heads while practicing transforming?
In Japan, it is believed that Tanukis put leaves on their heads and chant to transform themselves. However, Oroku (the old lady Tanuki) dismisses it, saying “That’s what novices do!”. It is also believed that Tanuki can change leaves into money (as one of them did in “Pom Poko”), and can fool humans. However, according to Oroku, changing leaves into money is now prohibited. If you’ve played “Super Mario Brothers”, when Mario gets a leaf, he gains pointy ears and the tail of a Tanuki. That came from the association between leaves and Tanukis.
