The Tanuki Who Stood Upright 狸

By Greg Villanueva

A U.S. serviceman stationed in Japan.
A quiet base road beneath a mountain.
A tanuki that does something no animal should do.

In The Tanuki Who Stood Upright, Greg I. Villanueva recounts a strange and unforgettable experience from his time in Japan during his years in U.S. naval aviation. What begins as a simple late-night stop near a snack bar below a cliff slowly becomes a pattern of unsettling moments: small creatures mistaken for puppies, a low growl inside a mountain tunnel, and a final sighting that turns folklore into something immediate and deeply personal.

Blending military memory, Japanese setting, and quiet supernatural tension, this book explores the thin line between the explainable and the remembered. Rather than chasing spectacle, it stays close to atmosphere, silence, and the feeling of being watched by something that belongs to an older world.

Perfect for readers of Japanese paranormal encounters, folklore-inspired nonfiction, quiet horror, and reflective supernatural memoir, The Tanuki Who Stood Upright is a haunting standalone entry in The Gaijin Chronicles.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GVSNVDQ5
• ISBN13: 9798251869347
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 76 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"