Animals in Japan
Green Pheasant
Phasianus versicolor
The green pheasant is the national bird of Japan. It was chosen in 1947 by the Ornithological Society of Japan, not by law, and it lives only in the Japanese islands. The male has a shining green body, a red face and a long tail, while the female is brown and well hidden. It lives in fields, riverbanks and woodland edges, and its loud call is said to warn of earthquakes. The pheasant appears in the folk tale of Momotaro and on the back of an old 10,000 yen note.
View detailsβWildlife in Japan
Japan stretches for about 3,000 kilometers, from the snowy forests of Hokkaido to the coral reefs of Okinawa, and its wildlife changes along the way. The most famous animal is the Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, the most northern monkey in the world, which survives snowy winters in the mountains of Honshu. The Japanese serow, a goat like animal found only in Japan, climbs the steep forested slopes, while Asiatic black bears, wild boars, red foxes and red squirrels live in the woods. Raccoons, brought as pets, now live wild in many regions. Fruit bats fly over the southern islands. The birds are just as varied: the green pheasant, the national bird, walks across fields, cranes winter in Kyushu, white tailed eagles and golden eagles hunt over Hokkaido, and white wagtails and magpies live near people. Around the coasts, seals and sea lions rest in the north, orcas and sperm whales swim off Shiretoko, and in the warm south, humpback whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sea snakes and clownfish share the reefs.
Most Dangerous Animals in Japan
The most dangerous animal in Japan today is the Asiatic black bear. In fiscal 2025, a poor crop of acorns and beechnuts pushed bears into towns and farms, and Japan recorded its worst year ever, with 13 deaths and more than 200 people injured, mostly in the north of Honshu. Hikers in bear country carry bells, travel in groups and avoid dawn and dusk. Wild boars can charge when surprised, especially mothers with young, and they now enter towns such as Kobe in search of food. Japanese macaques may grab food or bags from visitors, so it is best not to look them in the eye or feed them. In the warm south, sea snakes carry strong venom but are calm and rarely bite. At sea, great white and hammerhead sharks, barracudas and orcas live in Japanese waters, but attacks on people are very rare.
Top 10 Animals in Japan
The top animals of Japan come from the sea, the mountains and the sky. The orca is the most famous, and every spring pods pass through the Nemuro Strait off Rausu, in Hokkaido, one of the best places in Asia to see them. The great white shark is found in Japanese waters too, although it is rarely seen. On land, the Japanese macaque is the star: the snow monkeys of Jigokudani, in Nagano, became famous for bathing in hot springs in winter. The sperm whale, the largest toothed whale, can be watched off Rausu and the Ogasawara Islands. The Japanese serow is a protected natural monument, and the green pheasant is the national bird. Two great birds of prey follow, the white tailed eagle, which gathers in Hokkaido in winter, and the golden eagle of the mountains, along with the peregrine falcon. The mute swan, introduced from Europe, completes the list on lakes such as Yamanaka, near Mount Fuji.
Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
The Asiatic black bear lives in mountain forests across Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, where it feeds on berries, nuts, insects and occasionally crops. It is a powerful animal and encounters near villages or hiking trails can be dangerous, particularly in autumn when bears are feeding intensively before winter. Hokkaido has no Asiatic black bears but is home to the larger brown bear instead. Bells and noise are commonly used by hikers to avoid surprise encounters.
Macaque
Macaca spp.
The Japanese macaque, also called the snow monkey, is the only macaque species in Japan and the most northerly living primate in the world aside from humans. Populations in Nagano are famous for bathing in natural hot springs during winter. They live in forested mountains across Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Their status is Least Concern, though some local populations face pressure from urban expansion and crop raiding.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
In Japan, the red fox is native to Hokkaido, the country's northernmost main island, where it roams forests, farmland, and even city outskirts. It is absent from Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu as a native species. On Hokkaido, foxes are well known for approaching tourists, though feeding them is discouraged due to the risk of spreading Echinococcus, a serious tapeworm parasite. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
In Japan, the red squirrel is found on the northern island of Hokkaido, where it inhabits conifer and mixed forests. The Japanese population belongs to a distinct subspecies and is well adapted to the island's cold, snowy winters. It is a familiar and well-loved animal in Hokkaido, where it can often be seen foraging in forests near towns and national parks such as Daisetsuzan. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars are widespread across Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, and their range has been expanding in recent decades. They feed on roots, tubers, crops and small animals, causing damage to farmland and increasingly entering suburban areas in search of food. In mountain areas they can be dangerous at close range, especially females with young. They are heavily hunted and remain an important prey species for bears and wolves where these predators are present.
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Raccoons were brought to Japan in the late twentieth century, partly driven by the popularity of a Japanese anime series that featured them as pets. Many were released or escaped into the wild, and populations have since spread across Hokkaido and Honshu. They now threaten native wildlife and damage crops and historic buildings. Japan classifies the raccoon as an invasive alien species and actively works to control its numbers.
Fruit Bat
Pteropodidae
In Japan, fruit bats are found primarily in the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. The Ryukyu flying fox is one of the most recognised species in this region. These bats roost in forested areas and play an important role in pollinating native plants and spreading seeds across the island chain. Habitat loss from development has created conservation concern for local populations despite the family's global status of Least Concern.
Japanese Macaque
Macaca fuscata
The Japanese macaque is the only wild primate in Japan and lives across forests from Honshu to Yakushima Island. Famous for bathing in hot springs at Jigokudani in Nagano Prefecture during winter, troops follow clear social ranks and eat fruit, bark, and insects through the seasons. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern, though habitat loss and conflicts with farmers remain real pressures.
Japanese Serow
Capricornis crispus
The Japanese serow is found only in Japan, roaming the mountain forests of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Its thick coat, ranging from pale gray to nearly black, handles heavy winter snow with ease. Once pushed close to extinction by overhunting, it was declared a Special Natural Monument in 1955. Today, populations have stabilised across many of Japan's mountain ranges. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Iguana
Iguana iguana
The green iguana is an invasive species in Japan, with an established population on Ishigaki Island in the southern Ryukyu archipelago. Introduced through the pet trade, it has settled in coastal windbreak forests and surrounding vegetation. Japan has listed it as an invasive alien species and efforts to control its spread are ongoing, as the species can cause damage to native plants and ground nesting wildlife.
Sea Turtle
Cheloniidae & Dermochelyidae (families)
Japan is one of the most important nesting grounds for sea turtles in the North Pacific. Loggerhead turtles nest on beaches along Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and the Nansei Islands, and Yakushima Island hosts one of the largest loggerhead nesting sites in the entire northern Pacific. Green and hawksbill turtles also nest across the warmer southern islands. All three species are protected under Japanese law, and monitoring programs running for several decades
Sea Snake
Hydrophiinae / Laticauda spp.
In Japan, sea snakes are most commonly encountered around the subtropical Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, where warm currents and coral reefs provide suitable habitat. Sea kraits of the genus Laticauda are a regular presence on rocky shores and in shallow reef waters throughout this island chain. They come ashore to rest and lay eggs. Bites on humans are very rare. IUCN status: Data Deficient.
Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo
Japan sits at the far eastern edge of the Eurasian eagle owl's range, and here it is a very rare bird, known mainly from Hokkaido in the north, where it lives in forests and rocky mountain terrain. Only a few pairs are recorded, and they are closely watched by birdwatchers and conservationists. The owl hunts hares, rodents, and birds at night, like its relatives on the mainland. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Green Pheasant
Phasianus versicolor
Japan's national bird since 1947, the green pheasant lives across Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Males have a deep glossy green neck and breast, a long barred tail and bare red skin on the face, while females are mottled brown and blend into grass near their ground nests. It thrives in rice paddies, forest edges and riverside thickets, and it is the pheasant in the MomotarΕ folktale. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
In Japan, the white tailed eagle is found primarily in Hokkaido, the country's northernmost island, where it spends winter along frozen river mouths, lakes, and coastal areas. It is a regular visitor to places like Lake Furen and the Kushiro wetlands. Japan plays an important role in its wintering range, and local conservation efforts help protect this large eagle from lead poisoning caused by ingesting contaminated prey.
Crane
Grus grus
Common cranes are winter visitors to Japan, arriving in small numbers at wetlands and open fields mainly in Kyushu, the country's southernmost main island. They mix with other crane species that also winter there, including the hooded crane and the white naped crane. Japan's crane conservation programs and the protection of key wetland sites have helped maintain stable conditions for wintering birds, which is significant for a species listed as Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
The white wagtail is one of the most familiar small birds in Japan, present year round across the country from Hokkaido to the southern islands. It is commonly seen near rivers, ponds, rice paddies, and in urban areas, walking along sidewalks and parking lots with its characteristic tail bobbing motion. Several subspecies occur in Japan, with some populations resident and others passing through during migration seasons. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In Japan, the peregrine falcon breeds on coastal cliffs and rocky mountain faces across the archipelago, from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. Urban pairs have also taken up residence on tall buildings in cities like Tokyo and Osaka. The subspecies found here is Falco peregrinus japonensis. Populations declined sharply in the twentieth century but have since recovered thanks to legal protection and active monitoring programs. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
In Japan the mute swan is an introduced bird. Swans brought in to decorate park lakes escaped, and a wild breeding population took hold at Lake Utonai, near Tomakomai in Hokkaido. Some of these birds fly about 750 kilometers south to spend the winter at Lake Kasumigaura, in Ibaraki. Small groups also live year round on park lakes elsewhere. Because it can damage crops and compete with native waterfowl, Japan treats it as an alien species. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
In Japan, the golden eagle is a rare and protected species, found mainly in the mountain forests of Honshu and Hokkaido. It nests on cliff ledges and large trees in remote highland areas, hunting hares, birds, and other animals. Habitat loss and a small population size make it vulnerable despite its global status. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern worldwide, but in Japan it is considered endangered at the national level.
Gyrfalcon
Falco rusticolus
Japan sits at the southern edge of the gyrfalcon's range. The IUCN counts it within the resident range, but the bird is really a rare winter visitor to Hokkaido, arriving from the Russian Far East. One adult pair returned to the same spot for about ten winters in a row, and a few other birds turn up in some years along the coasts and open farmland. Each sighting draws photographers from across the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
In Japan, the Eurasian Magpie is found mainly in Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands, particularly around Saga and Fukuoka prefectures. It thrives in farmland, rice paddies, and areas near human settlement. The Japanese population is considered native by some researchers and introduced by others, making it a subject of ongoing scientific interest. It holds Least Concern status globally.
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpback whales occur in Japanese waters primarily around the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, where they gather to breed during winter. These warm southern waters serve as a calving and singing ground for whales that feed in the North Pacific during summer. Japan has a complex history with whaling, but humpbacks are no longer hunted there. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Orca
Orcinus orca
Orcas are found in Japanese waters throughout the year, with notable sightings off Hokkaido in the north and in the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. They hunt fish, marine mammals, and occasionally other cetaceans in these productive seas. Japan has a long history of observing orcas, and local researchers contribute to understanding the distinct populations that move through these waters.
Beluga Whale
Delphinapterus leucas
In Japan, beluga whales are not part of a wild resident population but are well known through aquarium displays. Japanese marine parks have housed belugas for decades, making them among the most recognized cetaceans in the country. Occasionally, belugas have been recorded in the cold waters of the Sea of Okhotsk near Hokkaido, at the far southern boundary of their natural range in the western Pacific. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins are found in coastal and offshore waters throughout Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to the subtropical seas around Okinawa in the south. They are a culturally significant species in Japan, where small cetacean hunts in places like Taiji have drawn considerable international attention. The IUCN classifies the species as Least Concern, though localized hunting pressure remains a subject of ongoing debate.
Seal
Phoca vitulina
In Japan, harbor seals are found along the coasts of Hokkaido, the country's northernmost main island. They favour rocky shores and small islets in cold waters, where they rest and raise their pups in spring. The Erimo Cape area on Hokkaido's Pacific coast is among the best known sites for observing them. Populations here sit at the southern edge of the species' Pacific range and are monitored by Japanese researchers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
Common dolphins are widely distributed in the waters around Japan, from the temperate seas of Hokkaido in the north to the warmer subtropical waters further south. They are frequently spotted in the Pacific Ocean off the main island of Honshu and around the Izu Peninsula. Japan has historically had a significant dolphin hunt at Taiji, which has drawn international attention and concern from conservation groups worldwide. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sea Lion
Otariinae spp.
The Japanese sea lion, a distinct species once found along Japan's coastlines and the Sea of Japan, was declared extinct in the mid-20th century due to overhunting and habitat loss. Today, Steller sea lions from nearby northern Pacific waters occasionally appear around Hokkaido and other northern islands. These large, powerful marine mammals feed on fish and squid and are protected under Japanese law.
Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm whales are found in the deep Pacific and Sea of Japan waters surrounding the Japanese archipelago. Japan has a long historical connection to these whales through its whaling industry, though commercial hunts have greatly declined. Today, threats such as entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes remain real concerns. Males and females follow different migratory routes, with deeper offshore canyons providing key foraging grounds.
Barracuda
Sphyraena spp.
The great barracuda and other barracuda species are found in the warm coastal waters of Japan's southern islands, particularly around Okinawa, the Ryukyu archipelago and the Ogasawara Islands. They are a familiar sight on reef edges and in open water near drop offs, where they patrol slowly or hang motionless before striking prey. Barracudas are commonly encountered by divers and snorkelers in these subtropical and tropical waters.
Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna spp.
Hammerhead sharks patrol the warm coastal waters around Japan, including areas near Okinawa and the southern island chains. Their wide, flattened heads give them exceptional sensory range when hunting fish and rays. Japan has a significant shark fin trade, which has contributed to the sharp decline of hammerhead populations. Several species are now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Clownfish
Amphiprioninae (over 30 species)
In Japan, clownfish are found in the warm subtropical waters of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, where coral reefs support a remarkable variety of marine life. The orange-and-white coloring of these fish makes them a favorite among divers exploring these southern reefs. Japanese marine research has contributed significantly to understanding clownfish behavior, including their remarkable ability to change sex when the dominant female of a group dies.
Great White Shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Great white sharks inhabit the temperate coastal waters around Japan, including areas around Hokkaido and along the Pacific coast. Japan's seas provide feeding opportunities, as the region supports healthy populations of marine mammals and fish. Japanese fisheries have historically recorded great whites as bycatch. Japan is also a significant market for shark products, making domestic policy important for the conservation of this Vulnerable species across the northwestern Pacific.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Japan?
Japan's land animals include the Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, the Japanese serow, Asiatic black bears, wild boars, red foxes, red squirrels, fruit bats and introduced raccoons. Its birds include the green pheasant, the national bird, cranes, white tailed eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, white wagtails and magpies. In the sea live orcas, sperm whales, humpback whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, sea snakes, clownfish, barracudas and great white and hammerhead sharks.
What is the national animal of Japan?
Japan has no national animal set by law, but its national bird is the green pheasant, chosen in 1947 by the Ornithological Society of Japan. It lives only in Japan, and the male has a shining green body, a red face and a long tail. The pheasant appears in the folk tale of Momotaro and on an old 10,000 yen note. Many people also link Japan with the Japanese macaque, the snow monkey, which is the country's most famous wild animal.
Where can you see snow monkeys in Japan?
The best place to see Japanese snow monkeys is the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano, opened in 1964, where wild macaques bathe in a natural hot spring to keep warm. They are not kept in cages and come and go freely from the forest. The best time to visit is from December to February, when snow covers the valley. The park is reached by a walk of about 30 minutes through the forest, and visitors must not touch, feed or stare at the monkeys.
Are there dangerous animals in Japan?
Yes, but serious incidents are uncommon. The most dangerous animal is the Asiatic black bear: in fiscal 2025 bears injured more than 200 people and killed 13, a record, mostly in northern Honshu. Wild boars can charge when surprised, and Japanese macaques may snatch food. In the warm south, sea snakes are venomous but seldom bite. At sea, great white and hammerhead sharks and barracudas are present, but attacks are very rare. In bear country, hikers carry bells and avoid walking alone at dawn and dusk.
Are there tigers in Japan?
No, there have never been wild tigers in Japan. The tiger is still common in Japanese art, temples and folk tales, but the idea came from China and Korea, and many old Japanese painters drew tigers without ever seeing one. On land, the top predators of Japan today are bears, such as the Asiatic black bear. In the sea, orcas and great white sharks are the top hunters. The only tigers in Japan live in zoos.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .