. >> keiko ban came home from tokyo to participate in her mother's memorial service. >> i came to seeuki figure that my father made and offered to this shrine. >> a relative told her that her father's tanuki was here, so she stopped on her way back to see it. it has a special meaning for ban. >> translator: it's because of lady tanuki made by my father that has my mother's features. this one has her hair down, but usually they have their hair up. >> keiko's father hiroshi was a master at creating tanuki figures. he's made over 500 figures in his lifetime. hiroshi and mitsuko his wife were very close. he made the figures look like mitsuko, so her smiling face would not be forgotten. >> translator: she looks so gentle. i can tell from her face that my father made this one. i'm sure of it. >> tanaka says that the expression changes depending on who was there. she should know. she's been watching her for a long time. >> translator: oh, she's smiling. look. you can see her cheeks puffed up. yes, she's happy. i think she feels related to you. if she didn't like you, she wouldn't smile like