Raccoon, Raccoon, Will you come out and play?
l can't, l'm eating right now.
What are you eating?
Pickled plums and radish.
Can l have a bite?
We used to live near the humans.
But no, not to swipe their food.
Where there are farms and fields,
There are always frogs and grasshoppers and mice and moles.
And persimmon and mulberry seeds.
Much more food than in the mountains.
Then suddenly last spring the house became vacant.
We decided to move in and make it our nest.
lt was a truly wonderful year.
A house with a garden, it was like a dream!
Until one day...
Usually we don't have any strict rules about our territory.
But this was different.
Wherever we went for food, we'd always butt heads with others.
There were fights, our house was captured,
And finally...
Pom Poko year 31 , autumn.
Deforestation began in TAKAGA Forest.
And the Raccoons of the Tama Hills faced their ultimate battle.
Commander of the Red Army was Gonta of Takaga Forest.
Commander of the Blue Army was Seizaemon of Suzuka Forest.
Not many people know this, but when humans aren't looking,
all raccoons stand on 2 feet.
The battle was brave and intense but it didn't go on very long.
Go, go! Takaga Forest! Go, go! Suzuka Forest!
Red or Blue, whoever wins they both will lose.
The loser will be killed.
lf the Red dies today, the Blue will die tomorrow.
Too many raccoons with no place to live.
Where will they go?
There is no place. They'll all die.
Whoever wins, Red or Blue, they both lose.
For the sake of all, they'll be killed.
lf they don't all die, the survivors must not mate.
No more children.
Or else there won't be enough forest to hold them.
At the demand of wild Granny Oroku,
the raccoons looked down at the earth and they were stunned.
The mountain had completely vanished.
The hills were stripped and flattened.
lt now looked so vast and cold.
This is insane!
This is no time for fighting!
ln the height of Japan's economic growth,
there were increasing demands for new housing around Tokyo.
Chaotic development began in the farmlands and mountains.
This development was known since 1966 as the Tama New Town project.
Total area: 3000 hectares,
Proposed population: 300,000 people.
The mountain was deforested, stripped and the hills leveled flat.
Farms were bulldozed. Old housed were demolished.
The Tama Hills became a residential development area.
PShrubs and trees were added to create a spacious new bedroom community.
The largest urban development ever.
Wow, humans are really amazing.
l always thought all animals were the same.
But now l think humans must be as powerful as Buddha and his disciples.
lt was a state of emergency.
A meeting was called one night in the old temple.
All the raccoons in the forest came.
The chairman was the 105 year old priest, Reverend Tsurukame.
Given the dire situation,
we must all start taking action during the daytime as needed,
while continuing our nocturnal habits.
They decided their course of action would be to prevent development.
The agreement is unanimous!'
Realizing the danger they were in, they broke up the meeting at once.
All future decisions would be made by the council of chiefs.
The chiefs decided on a 5-year plan
to bring back the old art of metamorphosis
and to study human beings.
They decided to summons the famous masters of 'morphing'
from Shikoku and Sado, to be their teachers of transformation.
But nobody would volunteer to be the messenger on the long journey.
They all pretended to be asleep.
Our only hope
is to wait for the young raccoons to grow up, and send them.
Agreed!
Getting down to business,
they proceeded with their research of MacDonald's hamburgers
and then ended the meeting.
No Dumping
ln order to gather thorough research on humans,
They set up a TV at headquarters to catch hourly information.
Good evening.
The TV aroused great interest.
Raccoons came to headquarters without official business
just to watch the TV all day.
'Metamorphosis' is the most extreme concentration
of mind and spirit.
To reform the body cells in a split second
is the world's greatest miracle.
Lower animal like chameleons use 'mimicry'.
But true transformation can only be done by raccoons, foxes, and some cats.
Hey, Gonta!
Look how you did that.
You're already learning the first steps of transforming.
Once you get the hang of it,
anyone can do it ...
...at least in theory.
l'll give you a demonstration.
Aren't you supposed to put a leaf on your head?
That's only for beginners.
lt's been awhile.
With Granny Oroku as their teacher
the revival of metamorphosis was well under way.
All the youngsters were eager to learn and practice their new skill.
Excellent, Shokichi!
l've always been interested in humans.
We're not supposed to get too close to them
but my father, who passed away, never stopped me.
A good knowledge of humans
is the foundation of the art of transformation.
Dad knew it would be useful in the future.
Of course, not all the students were brilliant.
ln fact, many were totally awful.
The key to transformation is extreme discipline of mind and body.
This is easy for a fox,
but raccoons are so naturally easygoing.
As expected, there were some dropouts.
Hey!
Hey, Ponkichi!
Ready, set, let's all transform...
l was so into morphing that l couldn't believe that my friend Ponkichi
just wanted to live an ordinary raccoon's life.
At dusk on a mountain pass,
the moon comes out from behind the mountain.
Then a branch from a cedar tree obstructs the view of the moon.
'Funny', the person says, 'there was no branch there before.'
Then the branch disappears and comes out on the other side.
The human who sees this says,
'No, there were branches on each side.'
Then a branch comes out on the other side too.
Just then, BOOM, it falls down.
Do you know what fell?
A raccoon!
'That's right. And why did it fall?
Gonta?
'Cause he was stupid. There's no way l would fall.
Good. That's the spirit.
Sasuke, why did he fall?
He made his arms into branches and forgot to hold on to the tree.
Very good. And what is the lesson to be learned here? Shokichi?
That you shouldn't listen to everything humans say.
Right.
We raccoons let ourselves go too easily. We give them too much.
This is the source of our mistakes. Does everyone understand?
Yes, Reverend Tsurukame.
So, for example, if l sing: Raccoon, raccoon,
Will you come out to play?
We're in the middle of our lessons.
See? You've already fallen for it. That's what l was afraid of.
While the raccoons were still hard at work on their studies,
winter had come and gone.
The plum trees were blossoming. The season for love was here.
Following Granny Okura's orders,
Many of the raccoons abstained from mating
to keep the population under control.
Especially the females.
They controlled their maternal instincts with firm integrity,
rejecting the lovesick wooing of the males.
Meanwhile, the work progressed on the massive development.
As more forest disappeared, the clear land for housing expanded.
The raccoons were sad and angry.
They called the site the 'flat hills'.
Mr. mailman, you dropped something... a postcard. l'll get it for you.
The females, who were all raised as liberated raccoons,
also learned to transform along with the males.
When males transform into girls,
The voices and gestures can cause difficulties.
The females help solve these problems.
Some females also transformed into men.
Can l have just the boys stay after class for a moment?
One day the Reverend Tsurukame gave the boys a special lecture.
Boys, there's something hidden in the mat you're sitting on.
What is that? lt's my golden balls!
16 square yards. Here's your proof.
After completing transformation class the students began to train on street.
Like when learning to drive,
one must be accompanied by an experienced driver,
to prevent accidents like detection.
The art of transformation requires a great deal of energy.
Especially when transforming into humans.
The dark circles raccoons have around their eyes are from their sheer fatigue.
Even an experienced raccoon will need to take along some extra energy.
Pf they're too exhausted, they could change back to raccoons in an instant.
Recently, those energy drinks have done very well on the market.
To graduate from practical training,
each student had to peacefully and single-handedly bring back $10.
Help me!
Some of them transformed into workmen.
Others posed as begging monks.
Some of the females tried working at bars.
One even tried his luck at pachinko.
One tricky fellow got his paws on the donation box at the temple.
But all he got was small change.
Granny Oroku could easily detect fake money.
l told you never to counterfeit money out of leaves!
Gonta's training at headquarters was interrupted by an urgent report.
He rushed back to his forest and was enraged by what he saw.
More than half of his forest had been leveled to 'flat hills'.
Furious, he hurried back to HQ.
He called a meeting of the counsel
and proposed aggressive tactics to drive back the humans.
Why?
The time is not ripe. lt's only the 1st year of the 5 year plan.
Pe've all completed our training. We're already capable of great things.
What do you think, Granny? Can we send them out yet?
They are certainly capable of the basic skills.
Are they?
But they lack the experience. There is still danger of critical error.
l want to ask Gonta.
Son, are you proposing this battle for your own personal revenge?
No, l swear. lt's for the total happiness of all the raccoons in Tama.
Total happiness?
You forget, Gonta. A year ago you were fighting against Suzuka Forest.
You were the leader.
Shut up! Even if you're all against me,
We raccoons from Takaga Forest are going to fight.
lf Gonta's going to fight, then l'm going too.
You too, Shokichi?
Thanks! Men, there's no turning back now!
Hey, wait!
You can't stop us, Granny.
Just this one time, l'll teach you a secret skill.
Even if you mess up, this disguise will last five days.
O.K., what is it?
A dead fox.
32nd year of Pom Poko. Summer.
Gonta and his group of supporters began to risk their lives
in a surprise attack on the humans.
At the same time, a counter-attack had started.
-They've come! -They're here!
Come on! Come on!
We did it! We did it!
Today at 2:30pm at the development site of Tama New Town,
Three drivers were killed and two more were seriously injured
in a landslide and an accident involving a trailer.
One building under construction was completely razed in this disaster.
Heavy rains and poor visibility were blamed for the accident.
Because so many accidents have occurred at the development sites,.
nearby residents are questioning the integrity of New Town's construction.
Wait a minute!
Those people were victims of this war.
We should express our deepest condolences to those poor humans.
The Reverend is right.
Let's have one minute of silent prayer for the victims' sacrifices.
Aye!
-Silent prayer! Silent prayer!
-Silent prayer!
-We won! We won! -Let's celebrate! A big party!
Hey! Gonta!
Our heroes have triumphantly returned.
You did a great job, Shokichi.
Thanks to you, we're full of hope.
Heck, today was only a test. The real battle hasn't even begun yet.
Each of us can take on a few humans at a time.
Crush, kill and destroy them. Kick them out of our domain!
We mustn't fail!
Say something, Shokichi.
And then we'll plant trees! Lots of persimmon trees!
Hurry, persimmon seed, sprout a tree lf you don't l'll chop you up.
Out with the humans! Kill them! Destroy them!
PHold on. Aren't we supposed to be celebrating this joyous day together?
-l'm a little worried about something. - What's that?
Are we going to kill all the humans and drive them all out?
Of course!
Can't we let a few humans stay? Like it was before?
No! They're our blood enemy! They're monsters!
They must be banished forever!
l guess you're right. l hate them too. There are some good ones, but...
But what?
But if we drive them all away, we'll never eat tempura again.
-Or sardines ...or corn... -Hamburgers! Donuts! Fried chicken!
Potato chips! Turkey!
Aw, rats. l want those things too!
What if we let just a few humans stay?
l suppose we have no choice.
-Oh, good! -Hooray for Gonta!
ln the garden of our temple The moon shines bright.
Everyone come out, come out Hurry, hurry, all our friends.
Reverend Tsurukame, come out! Everybody look at Granny!
You gotta get a look! Everyone's gotta get a look!
Authorities declare that need for housing for over 1 million people
is too urgent to consider delaying the New Town development.
-Hey... -What did they say?
lt was an unfortunate accident.
The hero, Gonta suffered compound fractures and ruptured organs.
He would need at least a year to recover fully.
The incoming news threw a sheet of gloom over the celebration.
But they were encouraged by the local people's superstitions.
Perhaps they've been cursed for tearing down the Suwa Shrine.
What do you mean?
They're being punished. The gods are striking back.
Weren't all the statues of deities saved?
Of course. We held a proper ceremony before moving them out, but..
What do you think, Professor Mizuki?
These gods are the original guardians of that land.
Of course they're angry. Any god would be.
l think there will be much more punishment to come.
Hikage Mountain might be saved.
Shokichi launched a new strategy.
When the owner of the land went to check the area with the agent,
Phe was bewildered to see several statues of deities on Hikage Mountain.
So he delayed the contract.
At another shrine that was to be moved, Kumataro disrupted the rituals
by transforming into the legendary fox, messenger to the gods.
He appeared on the roof and caused a commotion.
The move of the shrine was postponed.
lnstead, they requested the authorities to change the road plans.
The raccoons were all very excited.
Each group was driven by competition.
They had all mastered the art of transformation
and they began various guerrilla attacks.
Come over here!
Give it up!
Take it away!
-Let's not leave anything behind. -Leave the food!
What's wrong young lady?
Hey, what's the matter?
A faceless ghost!
-Over there... there was... -A murder?
-NO... -Not a murder?
-lt was a woman. -The wide-mouth monster lady?
No, it was...
Was it something like this?
Was it... something like this?
They were having so much fun spooking the humans so easily.
They all had a big party.
Nevertheless, the hero, Gonta was disappointed that his injuries
were not healing quickly.
Pis dear wife, Otama, nursed him well, but he was still unable to fight.
He wasn't pleased with the way the others were handling things.
Last night's news was great! 'New Town is Ghost Town'.
That cop was on the show. They all laughed at him.
He turned bright red and got mad. lt was so funny.
What are you idiots doing? How will that stop their work?
lf you're going to transform, do it to kill the humans!
Just as Gonta said, the construction didn't stop.
The river was banked with concrete.
Roads cut through the flattened hills.
And construction of housing was under way.
However, the mysterious incidents received so much media coverage
that the New Town hauntings were famous all over the country.
The raccoons morale lifted higher and higher.
32nd year of Pom Poko. Autumn.
lt was a big game to decide who would be the messengers
to bring back the great Masters of metamorphosis.
Tamasaburo would go to Shikoku.
And Bunta would go to Sado.
At the next full moon, the two were sent off on their far mission.
After the messengers left, the youngsters continued spooking.
Whether or not it contributed to stopping the development,
it was their favorite game.
-Out with the devil! -Hey... Papa!
Can we really chase the humans away by doing these tricks?
lf we fail, will they see through our disguises?
Should we fight like Gonta says?
No, killing 1 or 2 people won't make any difference.
To be or not to be... That is the question.
Okiyo, what are you doing over there?
ls something wrong with your neck?
l'm posing. l thought you might say l'm pretty.
-0h, sorry.
-Now my neck really does hurt. -That was pretty.
-Too late. -But l mean it.
l'm just rusty, that's all.
Everyone likes that song... l guess l like it too.
Do you like 'Where are you from?'
-Yeah, but nobody sings it. -That song...
A raccoon was on Senba Mountain, And along came a hunter...
-My grandpa was killed by a gun. -Sorry, l didn't know.
But he wasn't cooked and eaten. His fur was sold for a lot of money.
Your fur is beautiful too.
l'm happy you said that, Shokichi.
So what about that song?
Oh yeah, my dad used to sing it. He was a good ball bouncer too.
He must have been a character.
And when he finished singing, he would always start preaching.
What did he say?
Children, you must never forget. Like the song says,
the true nature of humans is cruel. That they kill us and eat us.
Hey, let's play ball.
-Are you any good? -Sure l am.
OK., l got one too.
Where are you from? Higo... Where's Higo?
Kumamoto... Where's Kumamoto? Senba...There's raccoons there.
-So, when is Operation Twin Star? -Oh, l don't really want to do it.
-But it was such a great idea. -Yeah.
-Do you want to do it tonight? -With you?
Yeah, we can be partners. Are you scared?
-No, it's not that, but... -O.K., so we'll go. lt'll be great.
O.K. let's do it. l'm sure that with you, it'll be a success.
Great!
My, what adorable little children.
We just got back from our space travels and now we're lost.
Space travels?
From the red-eyed scorpion, we crossed over the eagle's wings
We looped the coiled snake, to the top of the bear cub's brow.
And we sprinkled the dew and frost.
What in the world ...are you two?
-We're lost and we're cold! -Mister, do you know our house?
-We don't know. Now go away! -We'd better call the police!
-They're not kids, They're goblins! -Goblins!
Forgive us! Forgive us, little goblins!
Wait a minute. We can make a deal.
l'll raise your wages. l'm asking you to stay.
No way, l can't take any more. l'm going back home.
This place gives me the creeps.
Please, don't say that! Mr. Suzuki.
l knew Tokyo was a scary place but this is too much.
l think you should drop this whole development.
Curse or no curse, Someone is against this thing.
The raccoons cheered.
That night's party was especially grand.
The heroes of the day were Okiyo and Shokichi.
The workers had deserted. lt was dead calm.
But the next morning... all the replacements arrived
After all their hard work at spooking them out,
sure enough, new people came the very next day.
A local rumor says the spooks are only foxes or raccoons.
lf that were true, all we'd need to do is kill the guilty animals.
This made the raccoons at Headquarters very nervous.
But this is just like the old tales. That's how the rumor got started.
That just proves that it's only a vicious rumor.
Vicious rumor? We saw it with our own eyes!
Very well. We have decided to exterminate these animals.
As soon as we find them, you'll have your proof.
Shokichi wasn't the only one who was skeptical of their efforts
to spook the humans away.
As you know, in the Edo era, the raccoons reigned.
The art of metamorphosis was at its peak
lt was a theme of all painters and writers in that period.
But we stood out too much. The humans were offended.
With the progress of civilization, they captured us by the masses
for the furriers and the brush makers.
This sated their thirst for vengeance.
We have never forgotten this painful experience.
And we have been discrete with our art in the last few decades,
remembering a much more peaceful period.
Metamorphosis is a double-edged sword. lt is a great gift, but,
used carelessly, it will only fan the flame of humans' hatred.
l urge you all to use discretion.
The young transforming raccoons felt like they'd missed the point.
But it was autumn, the time for abundant harvests.
The best season for raccoons.
To prepare for winter, they ate to store up fat under their fur.
For they must grow their bushy winter coats.
The young ones applied their skills to the job of getting food.
One day, a tired raccoon arrived at the construction site.
lt's O.K., we're raccoons too.
Thank you.
You look awfully tired. Were did you come from?
From Fujino Mountain.
ls that in Shikoku or Sado?
lt's in Kanagawa. Back over those mountains.
Kanagawa? You mean you're not from Shikoku?
Excuse me, it seems you were expecting something else.
lts just that we've been waiting for somebody.
Anyway, did you come on certain business?
l finally found it!
l was looking for where all the dirt came from
that made a mess of our mountain.
According to this raccoon named Hayashi,
tons of dirt and construction waste had been unjustly dumped
in the hills and valleys of Fujino
polluting the rivers, causing frequent landslides,
and endangering the survival of the raccoons and other animals.
To find the source of this trouble,
Hayashi changed into a human and sneaked onto an empty truck
But his transforming skills were not perfect. He fell into a trance.
And while the truck carried him here, he changed back to himself.
lt's not just Fujino, it's other areas too.
The garbage dumpsites, and the golf courses they keep building.
They destroy our mountain here, and we are troubled.
Then they dump the waste on Fujino. And you are troubled
Just how far will they go with this insanity?
When l arrived here l was horrified.
l thought for sure the waste was coming from the big city.
But this is a mountain!
They dig up one mountain and dump it on another.
What in the world for? l don't understand it one bit.
Now if we stop the development, we'll also be doing it for Fujino.
l can't express it strongly enough. l urge you to use your power
for the sake of my mountain as well as your own.
Well ...how can we...
Where could our messengers have strayed to?
And why haven't they brought the masters of metamorphosis here?
Winter came without the arrival of the masters.
During their winter rest,
they forgot about the 'New Town Spooks' for a while,
And took a break from their media campaign.
The media was now busy with scandals of the singing idols
and crimes of the politicians.
ln the garden of our temple
Raining, raining cotton candy, lce cream, snow cone!
All our friends, Pom Poko, Pom!
New Year, 33rd year of Pom Poko
New Year's morning brought a fresh blanket of snow.
People were coming home for the holidays, bringing many gifts,
and enjoying long awaited family gatherings.
Raccoon's golden watch lt swings but there's no wind.
Baby raccoon sees it And swings his too.
-We really saw them. -A bunch of raccoons pushed it!
lt's the truth!
On New Year's Day, three workers at the Tama development
were arrested for a destroying a construction vehicle.
The disturbance copycats the infamous 'New Town Spooks'.
lnvestigations are under way, but the snow has covered...
Look what you've done now, Shokichi.
l don't think we need to worry.
What you did was pointless.
Pe was just trying to raise the morale of those who can't yet transform.
What do you think, Reverend?
l think it'll be all right.
And it was all right.
The 3 workers were released on insufficient evidence.
The raccoons weren't blamed. The case remained a mystery.
Then spring finally came.
Once again, the season for love.
The raccoons, who had been chaste for over a year,
had reached the limits of their endurance.
Love rivalries and sweet nothings filled the air.
Even the sky was rose-colored.
Wait up, Hanako!
-Hanako, wait! -You can't catch me!
Everyone has spring fever.
We're just like trees and flowers. When spring comes, the sun shines
We bud, our flowers blossom, then we bear fruit.
But we must obey Granny's orders.
Until our battle is won, we will be chaste.
Shokichi, you... are really great. l'm...so glad.
-Our love is forever. -Shokichi
That was a big mistake. Their love grew passionate.
And sure enough, the others had done the same.
That spring, Shokichi and Kiyo had four baby raccoons.
Kincho Daimyo Shrine
ln late autumn of the year before, Tamasaburo finally arrived in Awa.
He went to the Kincho Shrine, home of the wise Masters,
to explain the problem in Tokyo, and ask for the Great One's help.
That's when Tamasaburo fell ill.
But with the care of Koharu, the Great One's daughter,
he recovered miraculously.
That spring the two fell in love and had three babies.
Pnside the shrine, all the Masters of Shikoku were in a serious meeting.
They agreed that it was important for all of Japan
to stop the development in Tokyo. They must act quickly.
But who should be sent?
And who would run the important affairs here in Shikoku?
Hundreds of questions were raised but no conclusions were reached
Father's in the meeting again today. Always meetings.
And on such a lovely day.
lt's already been 6 months. When will they reach a decision?
l want it to go on forever!
l can't stand the thought of you going back to Tama.
Koharu, this kind of happiness can only be a dream.
But why? Tama, l'm going to ask Father
lf he'll let you stay here and become his successor.
While Tamasaburo was wrapped up in the anguish of youth,
Bunta, who had journeyed to Sado, roamed the fields and mountains
searching for a Master called Danzaburo.
But he found to trace of him.
From summer to autumn, the raccoons faced a serious dilemma.
Not only was their forest disappearing,
but their population multiplied with the spring baby boom.
Bad weather that summer caused an extreme shortage of food.
As expected, persimmons, nuts and autumn harvests were scarce.
Transforming raccoons managed to get food from the humans,
but it wasn't enough to feed all the babies.
Even the non-transforming raccoons were forced
to go to the humans' homes to find anything edible.
Some of the more careless ones were hit by cars or caught in traps.
Many lives were lost.
l'm back in shape now!
lt's time to confront the humans. Right, Shokichi?
Are you sure you're all right, Gonta?
Of course! Watch this!
This calls for a celebration! When's the party?
There's no time for a party, Granny Oroku.
l think we should wait until the Elders get here.
You too, Shokichi? l'm sick of you wimps.
We mustn't forget the strength of the humans.
lf we attack like that, we're sure to lose.
We've already waited too long!
Hold on. Let's hear Shokichi's opinion.
Until the elders arrive, l propose three things:
First, fair allotment of the food obtained by transforming raccoons.
ln other words, a rationing system.
Second, enforcement of a traffic safety program.
Third, a rescue squad for anyone who gets caught in traps.
Shokichi, you sound just like a human.
No, l'm very much raccoon.
OK we'll worry about the details later. For now let's see who agrees.
All those in favor raise your hands!
Agreed!
What kind of game are you playing, Gonta?
This is not a game! l'm in charge now!
Anyone who opposes me will be killed by my guard troop.
Those are dangerous words, Gonta.
Call him Sir! Gonta, Sir.
Humans are strong, indeed. But if we are desperate enough...
We can win. We can kill them.
The saying goes, 'an angry mouse will eat the cat.'
-Cat, schmat!. -He'll bite his tongue.
We're just cornering ourselves like mice.
Exactly. lf a mouse is cornered, he'll bite the cat. That's the idea.
-We're not mice. -Biting a cat won't help us.
Mice? Yes, a mouse would taste good right now.
Mouse tempura is the best.
No, fried mouse nuggets are the cats pajamas.
-l like'em with breading. -l like the crispy fried tails.
What are you all doing?
As for me... My favorite is mouse tempura.
Listen, Gonta. This is our level of standards.
So we will wait for the elders from Shikoku.
l'm ashamed.
And l'm warning you not to have any more babies.
lt's hard enough as it is.
No!... lnstead of fewer raccoons, we need fewer humans!
We used to have more territory. Then along came those pigs!
Drive the pigs out! Kill the pigs!
Drive them out! Kill them!
Just then...
l'll go to inform everyone.
Tamasaburo!
l've brought back the Elders from Shikoku.
Well done, Tamasaburo!
Friends, on the way here, we have seen the devastated mountains.
You have our deepest sympathy.
We would like to hold a grand conference tonight.
33rd year of Pom Poko. Autumn.
On the arrival of the 3 Elders, the rally began.
There's a big moon out tonight.
Everyone, my name is Hage from Yachima.
This year l will be 999 years old.
Why has Shikoku stayed undeveloped compared to here?
Because we have protected our mountains securely.
Our humans know what evil will befall them if they anger us.
We three are worshipped at every temple and shrine in Shikoku.
We are highly respected by humans.
l haven't introduced myself. l am Chief of all of Matsuyama.
My name is lnuganu Gyoubu.
l'm the Kincho Shrine's 6th generation chief, Kincho Vl.
We shall commence to eliminate the humans
by using your transformation skills in a 'Spooking War'.
Commanding this battle will require
the concentration of our highest combined spirit.
We 3 could even lose our lives as sacrifices to this battle.
However, if you complete this operation without error,
you will win back the respect humans once had for you.
We must accept the danger
and use all our might to stop the development.
We have a full arsenal of tricks.
We have built a big solid boat. One that will carry us far.
Come confidently aboard our boat.
What a beautiful moon. We like full moons.
This moon is praying for our success.
Don't you think so?
The raccoons began intense training for the spooking war.
Happy 999th birthday!
Thank you, everyone. Thank you.
Master, will you tell the old story of Yoichi the archer?
Sure, why not.
The time is ripe.
33rd year of Pom Poko. Year's end.
lt was launching day of the Great Spooking War.
Slightly cloudy, no winds, 13 degrees centigrade, humidity 65% .
A perfect day for haunting.
lt has long been known that raccoons are highly skilled...
at morphing into ghosts. They're born with this ability.
Their task is to bring out this potential.
Just as nature's powers can be harnessed,
accumulating and amplifying their energy is vital.
This was the objective of the special training by the three Masters.
Males, females, the skilled and unskilled alike.
They all participated by contributing their energy.
That evening, with their united army,
they would use their full strength, as no one had ever seen before.
What's that?
Let the dead trees all grow flowers!
Wow! A big parade of ghosts!
l used to say those sorts of things. Like a parade of foxes...
But you really saw them, right? With lanterns and all.
And the lanterns march along...
-l wonder what ever happened? -Can foxes really do that?
lt sure seems so. But it makes me wonder...
lt's probably just my nerves. All this talk about ghosts...
All those old stories about foxes and lanterns ...
lt's all in my head.
Make me think l saw them marching.
That's what nerves will do...
Of course. How foolish to even imagine...
Human nerves. They're a frightening thing.
One would think there real. But they can't be real.
-But they're real ghosts. -lt's all nerves, that's all.
Hi, honey.
Sachiko!
Abira Unken Sowaka!
Shikisoku Zeku!
Master Gyobu!
Aw, is it over already?
That was so cool!
-Go inside and go to sleep now. -All right.
And be sure to brush your teeth.
l feel like l'm in a strange dream.
Me too. What could that have been?
-l think maybe it was a U.F.O. -Strange things do happen.
Long ago, when the Matsuyama Clan was at battle,
Gyobu defected to the enemy, causing the downfall of his clan.
He regretted it so deeply, that he made a solemn vow.
He would devote his life to fighting for justice.
Let his death not be wasted. Let us carry on his noble ideals.
We will fight to the end. Until the Day of Triumph.
Raccoons, raccoons We drink sake, we transform.
We will win the Spooking War! Victory! Victory!
ln the heat of their excitement, nobody was watching the TV.
We're looking for any video tape of this mysterious parade.
No one has come forward yet. lnvestigators are perplexed.
l shot all that videotape, but none of it came out.
This is really weird.
The ghost slipped in through here and it was terrifying!
A human could never do that.
Something's very fishy here. l want to move out if l can but...
At 12:20 tonight, we will bring you a special program...
with in-depth coverage of this mysterious event.
The investigation goes on and on.
But our witnesses recognize that it was real.
They can't blame it on nerves. They can't explain it away.
The humans will be stupefied by the mystery of the universe.
And they'll realize the insignificance of their existence.
Good fortune awaits us. But let's not wait for it.
Let's wake it up. Let's celebrate! Drink up! Sing! Dance!
But the next day,
the situation took an unexpected turn.
Last night's impromptu parade in Tama New Town
was actually a publicity stunt for the theme park, Wonderland,
which is now under construction.
Police have interrogated all related parties.
lmpossible!
However, local residents claim it didn't look like a publicity event.
Of course not!
The president of Wonderland confessed to last night's stunt.
What did he say?
l would like to apologize to the public for this disturbance.
What is he trying to pull?
We are still working on the construction of Wonderland.
But to let everyone know what a splendid park we're building,
we decided to give them all some free entertainment.
As president of the park, l chose to throw a surprise parade.
-Liar! -What's he talking about!
Fortunately, we've received enormous public support.
We are overwhelmed.
lf they must lock me up for this, l'm prepared to pay the price.
-What the... -Why...
Something is very wrong here!
lf they must lock me up for this, l'm prepared to pay the price.
That fool!
The news threw the raccoons into a state of panic.
At Wonderland, they searched for the parade's organizers.
l can't do all the work around here!
Find whoever was responsible! l want no stone left unturned!
We'll lure them in with money! As much as it takes!
lt was done by raccoons.
What? Raccoons? Then get me a raccoon!
Any raccoon! Contact the raccoon's manager!
-Raccoon? What did you say? -l was only joking.
This is no time for jokes. How did you get in here?
Your secretary. l phoned earlier. My name's Ryutaro.
You seem to be in a tight spot.
But l happen to be the only man who can talk to the raccoons for you.
l see. l'll give you $ 1 million.
While this strange looking man pursued his scheme,
the raccoons were enraged that that their glory had been stolen.
They cried with resentment. And sunk into helplessness.
Since there was no video tape of the ghost parade,
TV coverage tapered off.
You're a fox, aren't you?
Precisely. l'm Ryutaro, transforming fox of Tama.
l've long heard tales of the Great Kincho from Awa.
l'm honored to be in your presence.
l'm just the sixth Kincho. So tell me, why are you here?
l was deeply moved by your fabulous parade.
So you know it was us.
lndeed. And l understand your despair and discouragement.
You really understand?
l predicted everything that happened after the parade.
What did you say?
Ryutaro the fox invited Kincho to join him on the Ginza
in a special room at a certain well known club.
Please, be my guest!
Don't worry, all these ladies are really foxes.
Would you prefer them like this or as foxes?
...or shall we have them change to raccoons?
Let's be frank.
Raccoons have no future in Tama. Foxes there have already died.
They've perished already? The foxes?
Yes. lt's a pity. And only a few transforming ones...
are surviving by living as humans.
As humans?
lt's the only way to survive in a big city like Tokyo.
l brought you here to persuade you raccoons to do the same.
Just a moment!
l understand your shock. But in these pressing times,
we must take drastic measures. There's even more to it than that.
lf you swallow poison, why not drink the whole bottle?
The best solution is for you all to get jobs at Wonderland.
What? Work for our enemy?
Let's think calmly. At this point the raccoons have no choice.
That much is given.
lt takes money to live as humans And how can you earn a living?
You must use your specialty.
How about getting a job where they pay the most money?
lt's too bad your enemy is Wonderland.
They also pay considerable benefits.
This is the monthly salary.
And these are the benefits.
Of course, no one other than me will know that you're raccoons.
Bon appetite.
Think about it over dinner. Please enjoy the food, Kincho lV.
You must be tired of eating scraps from the Tama garbage.
l don't mind so much.
l have one question.
lf we must live as humans, what about those who can't transform?
l can't solve everything.
At least the strongest ones will survive.
We foxes too had to abandon our weaker members.
Then... they were left to die?
Yes. A heart-wrenching choice.
How tragic.
lt might ease your mind to note that unlike foxes,
raccoons can eat anything. They might make it somehow.
ln Kincho Vl's absence,
the Tama Raccoons were discussing a counter measure.
Only the core group attended.
We have all the arms we need. We must attack now.
lt was a mistake to wait this long in the first place.
l say, 'Don't sell the pelt until you've skinned the fox.'
Not even Buddha could help us. We must not blame the elders.
Why do the humans all say, 'tricky like a raccoon'?
You talk about humans too much, Shokichi!
l'm just trying to learn more about humans...
Shut up! We must kill all the humans!
Control yourself, Gonta.
l think we should tell the humans that we started the Spooking War.
Have you lost your mind ? That's just what we mustn't do.
True. lf they knew it was us, they'd be on our tails.
l'm appalled. Why must it be kept secret?
l can't accept this.
l want to shout it out! 'We are the ones who did it!'
How would we get them to believe us?
A public declaration. Call the TV stations, or send letters.
They'll probably think it's a practical joke.
Then we'll go on TV and show them our transformations.
They'll say it's a trick and we'll be humiliated.
Look, it's a waste of time arguing.
This much was true.
The debate went back and forth, and on into the night.
This argument is a waste of time.
But if we provoke those terrorists, they will kill us all.
That's why we shouldn't reveal our secret!
lf we reveal ourselves, we're throwing away our only weapon.
ln this case we don't have much choice.
There's only one thing left we can do.
lnstead of splitting up, we must combine our strength.
We must launch Spooking War ll.
lt might end up the same way.
We'll perfect a new plan and a fresh attitude.
You just don't have the guts to fight, you stinking girl.
Watch what you say! Girls don't stink.
lf they did, he'd be one.
l intend to start preparations for Spooking War ll.
And who will follow you?
Will anyone follow you ?
What do mean by that?
Cut it out!
Everyone listen up!
There's only one way to live in unity.
And it requires the use of your special talents.
Your ability overwhelmed the humans in the Spooking War.
This may sound crazy, but a non-human can be 'human'.
Given this, what should we do?
How do you make an egg stand straight up?
As you know, Columbus did it like this.
-Wow! That's great! -Bravo!
ls your plan as great as that?
From now on we will live as non-human 'humans'.
You gotta be joking.
No, this is no joke.
But what about the ones who can't transform?
Where's the Reverend?
Appeal from all raccoons
While the Reverend was gone,
they refused to agree to Kincho Vl's plan.
The meeting ended with chaos. Their unity was destroyed.
They had almost no food left.
Hard-driving Gonta went around recruiting troops for his battle.
Master Hage gathered the non-transforming raccoons...
and gave them faith with a new religious dance.
These are chaotic times. Our boat has turned to mud.
Save us, merciful Buddha.
l hope to grow old like Hage. So vigorous with old age.
Tokyo is such a frightening place.
ln Shikoku, that prayer would have instant effects.
Offerings at our shrine would double ...no, quadruple!
Kincho Vl, l can't wait any longer.
l want to go back to Shikoku with you! To the Kincho Shrine.
Really, Tamasaburo?
You've decided to be my successor?
Yes, Kincho Vl.
l'm relieved to hear that. But you do this ...
not to abandon your comrades, but because you love my daughter?
Yes, of course. But...
But what?
No one is following your orders now. lsn't there anything we can do?
Yes, there is something we can do.
This is quite a fancy restaurant.
We spared no expense to please you.
Good job. We'll even beat Disneyland.
To get revenge on the president,
Kincho Vl led the raccoons in apprehending all his money.
The president ran to the police
to report the theft of $ l million by raccoons...
But they didn't believe him.
That same day, Gonta's army began their operations
to stop the deforestation of the next mountain.
All of you preservationists.
Leave these woods at once.
You are charged with robbery,
possession of dangerous weapons and illegal trespassing.
lf you fail to evacuate immediately, we will use force to remove you.
Gonta's troops had the police and workers fixed to the road.
They would not budge an inch.
By nightfall, both sides still held their positions.
lf we can't stop Gonta, we have no choice but to help him.
The riot police are already there. You're too late.
l'll just go check it out.
-Stop! You'll be caught too! -We're going too!
Everyone ready?
With our spirit of honor, if we are sacrificed in battle,
our brother raccoons will continue to fight
with undying determination until our day of victory.
We raccoons, with balls of steel
swinging in the wind. Amen.
Special mission!
-Wait, Gonta! -Don't do anything hasty!
Let's go!
Gonta!
They used their tails as weapons in a brave kamikaze attack.
Mr. Raccoon, Mr. Raccoon.
Just then, in another part of the forest,
a TV reporter was sent to get an interview with a raccoon.
Won't you please come out?
You can transform if you like. Or stay as you are.
We at ''World Telereporter'' are your fans!
They're not coming out yet.
Mr. Raccoon, can we talk?
We have nothing to eat.
They're responding! The appeal is true!
We would like to know your reasons. Will you come out?
There they are! The raccoons!
Did you really put on the ghost parade?
Yes, we did.
Won't you show us your fine transforming talent?
So that our viewers will believe you.
There are some raccoons who can't transform.
This is why we need our forest to live.
Listen, raccoons, you're making my show look bad.
You all have something to say. So please have some good faith.
Reverend!
Please! Tell the humans our demands.
He came out! A real raccoon statue is walking this way!
Mr. Raccoon, please let us hear your comments.
We... We...
Yes, Please go on.
We are the ones who did it!
This forest is our home! We won't have you taking it away from us
This is the wish of all living things!
The people l saw yesterday are gone today.
The people l saw today Will be gone tomorrow.
Nobody knows about the day after that.
But the day will come when the people will be sorry.
The Battle of Yashima, in the year 1000 AD,
Was seen by the eyes of the 999 year old Hage,
respected Master of raccoons.
Having seen enough of the world, He decided to bid farewell.
He took his massive balls, and stretched them out wide.
To make a treasure boat.
He filled it with treasures: Lacquer, gold, jewels.
Buddha would carry them from earth to heaven.
Cheerfully singing at the top of their lungs,
the raccoons embarked merrily on their journey to heaven.
The treasure boat sailed along the Tama River,
Floating with the waves. Rocking and swaying.
The sail filled with wind. They waited for the tide.
Waiting for the moon, the water rippled.
The treasure boat sailed, rocking under the moon.
lt was a dreamlike night. With bells, flutes and drums.
Loaded full of raccoons, full of gold, silver and coral,
the treasure boat drifted away.
But before the boat turned to mud, The other raccoons watched...
as it entered the mist like a dream on a night in spring.
As they looked up at the moon, Buddha beckoned them to heaven.
And they crossed over to the other world.
All the raccoons died. On the journey of death.
A journey with no return. A journey of death.
Poor raccoons. On the journey of death.
We're no match for the humans.
Bunta! ls that Bunta?
Tamasaburo!
-lt's good to see you back! -Sasuke! Shokichi!
What happened to the elder from Sado? Master Danzaburo?
Well, after searching all this time, l found out that 45 years ago,
he died in the famine after the war.
l see. l was hoping to meet him...
Thank you for your efforts, Bunta.
Tell me what has happened here. l've been away for three years.
We've done all sorts of things.
But everything has changed! Or am l crazy?
-l understand your reaction. -ls this the work of the humans?
Yes, this is what the humans did.
lmpossible! Only raccoons could be this tricky. Not humans!
The humans have taken over! They treat us like stinking beggars!
Give us back our mountains! Give us back our fields!
Give us back our home!
Shall we give it another try?
One last effort to change this place back to the way it was?
Why not... We could challenge the humans with illusions.
Sounds interesting. l can see the scenery already.
Perfect. Our last victory!
But, what would it prove? To do something like that now?
For our amusement... our amusement.
A raccoon's not a raccoon without a playful spirit.
Will you help us too, Master?
Of course. lf you don't mind a little southern flair.
Ponkichi!
l'm here! Let's go tell everyone who's left.
-Lend me your energy again? -You can count on me!
Wait for me, big brother!
Oh, that looks like Mother.
lt's Yotchan! Yotchan!
That's us there! lt's us when we were little!
-Hey! Raccoons! -Oh, cute!
Look Mom, raccoons!
There back again! Even in a place like this.
Wait, raccoons!
Shucks, they left.
-l wanted to give them some food -Can raccoons really transform?
That's how we lost our battle.
And the New Town development continued. With no obstacles.
As the days went by, the new scene grew familiar.
For humans, it was a nice place to live.
Trendy new condominiums were built where the temple once was.
lt turned out to be a good decision...
that we revealed ourselves to the humans that time.
The result was a community...
that made efforts to live in harmony with the raccoons.
They also left the rest of our trees alone. And made several parks.
But for us, it was too late. There wasn't room for us to live.
Some of us went over the mountain to live in a town called Machida.
But there were raccoons there too...
who suffered because of suburban development.
Many were killed on the road. The days got harder and harder.
Then, we made the fateful decision.
That's right. Those of us who can transform are living as humans.
Just like the foxes.
l have a desk job. And my wife, Kiyo, works at a bar.
Some are working in real estate, others in forestry.
But l'm so exhausted with stress. l want to go back to my forest.
How can humans endure living like this?
There are some who drop out and live in the city streets.
eating discarded food in the alleys.
How about Ponkichi and the other ordinary raccoons?
'Carefree living' is an expression made for raccoons.
They overcome all obstacles, live happily and freely,
Make babies with a carefree spirit, and die.
There's always someone... By my side...
Ponkichi!
Shokichi!
-Welcome back! -You haven't changed a bit!
There's always sure to be... Someone by my side.
Even if you go far away... From the place you were born,
You'll never be forgotten... When you return.
On the TV, they said that foxes or raccoons,
were 'erasing the scenery at the development sites.'
Will you stop saying that?
lt's true that some raccoons and foxes probably do those things.
But how about the rabbits and weasels?
Can you erase it yourself?