Risu no Matoi

Commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), Risu no Matoi stars MAFF's mascot, a squirrel. This squirrel appears on various posters and signboards for wildfire prevention in Japanese forests and campgrounds, similar to Smokey Bear for the U.S. Forest Service. In the story, the squirrel smells smoke as a forest fire burns down nearby woods. Some local men were about to be blamed for the fire, but the squirrel vouched for them. The squirrel found a kitsune who admitted to using her shape-shifting abilities to mess with a hunter, causing the forest fire. The squirrel reported the events, and the hunter was found and punished.