Animals of
Japan
Famous for its history and culture, the wildlife of this island nation often goes overlooked.
However, Japan is home to a rich ecosystem of creatures both familiar and completely unique.
A Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata) at the Arashiyama Monkey Park, Kyoto.
A Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
Koi (Cyprinus carpio koi) in Shukkeien Garden, Hiroshima.
A Black Kite (Milvus migrans) in Kyoto.
Kajika Frogs (Buergeria buergeri) on Mt. Daisen, Tottori.
A Coypu or Nutria (Myocastor coypus) in Osaka.
A carrion crow (Corvus corone) in Osaka.
A Japanese Tit (Parus minor) in Hiroshima.
A Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in Nara Park.
A Red-eared Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) in Nara Park.
Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata) at the Jigokudani Monkey Park, Nagano.
An Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) in Toyooka.
A Shield Bug (Acanthosoma sp.) on Mt. Daisen, Tottori.
A Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) in Kyoto.
A Japanese Badger (Meles anakuma) on Mt. Daisen, Tottori.
A Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
An Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) in Nagano.
A Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
Japan exhibits seemingly endless natural variety, from the snow covered wilderness of Hokkaido in the north, through the forested mountains of Honshu, to the lush subtropical verdure of Kyushu and the southwestern Ryukyu Islands, all surrounded by rich seas.
Its unique position as a set of islands occasionally connected to the mainland has gifted Japan with a unique combination of mainland fauna — from brown and black bears, to red foxes, and giant owls — and endemic species found nowhere else — including ghostly serows, giant flying squirrels, monstrous salamanders, and snow monkeys.
