Hachiemon

, also known as or , is a Tanuki from Awa who serves Miroku. His basic abilities are low and he has no weapons or skills for battle. He is an unremarkable being, but he understands Miroku well. Although Hachi is Miroku's servant, he often does not travel with him.

Since he is a tanuki, he has the ability to transform. If he puts a leaf on his head and transforms, he can assume the form of a giant yellow gourd. He can fly in this state. When he runs away, he can lay down a smoke screen to deceive enemies.

He is sometimes asked to perform impossible tasks, but if he complains, he gets beaten on the head. Even though he is treated brutally, he makes every effort for Miroku. He is nobly sworn a bond between master and servant.

Interestingly, in the episode The Mysterious Lecherous Monk, Hachi, while disguised as Miroku, showed to be quite the lady's man, wooing almost every woman in the village with high success. While Miroku was initially upset over the deception, he actually asked Hachi for advice on how he did it, much to Sango's anger. He would then transform back into Miroku, switch places back and forth with his Master, and proceed to almost taunt Sango into chasing them, each declaring the other was Miroku, much to her fury.

Name

 * Hachi means 'eight' in Japanese, though it is also a name.
 * The tanuki has eight special traits that bring good fortune, possibly created to coincide to the "Hachi" symbol (meaning eight) often found on the sake bottles the statues hold.
 * The eight traits are: a hat to be ready to protect against trouble or bad weather; big eyes to perceive the environment and help make good decisions; a sake bottle that represents virtue; a big tail that provides steadiness and strength until success is achieved; over-sized testicles that symbolize financial luck; a promissory note that represents trust or confidence; a big belly that symbolizes bold and calm decisiveness; and a friendly smile.

Trivia

 * His seiyū, Toshihiko Nakajima, voiced several characters from Rumiko Takahashi's previous series . They include Farmer Brown, Wonton, and Yamato no Orochi.
 * Hachiemon has a uncanny resemblance to Mujina, only Hachiemon was a raccoon dog and Mujina was a badger. Both tanuki and mujina are shapeshifters in Japanese mythology. Interestingly, tanuki and mujina are sometimes interchangeable. In some regions of Japan, raccoon dogs are called mujina and badgers are called tanuki.

Media appearances
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Manga

 * Chapter 51
 * Chapter 52
 * Chapter 64
 * Chapter 102
 * Chapter 105
 * Chapter 176
 * Chapter 177
 * Chapter 218
 * Chapter 299

Anime
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 * Episode 16
 * Episode 19
 * Episode 28
 * Episode 40
 * Episode 41
 * Episode 49
 * InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
 * Episode 56
 * Episode 73
 * Episode 74
 * Episode 75
 * Episode 76
 * Episode 77
 * InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
 * Episode 93
 * Episode 135
 * Episode 145
 * Episode 167