Tombo. Japanese Dragonflies

There are about 200 types of dragonfly in Japan, each with its own name, and I have absolutely no idea which ones these photos are of, so I use the generic "Tombo"

Associated with late summer and early autumn, the Tombo has a deep and rich relationship with Japanese culture, not least of which is an ancient name for Japan meaning Dragonfly Isles.

Found as an artistic symbol as far back as the Yayoi Period, the dragonfly was adopted by samurai and appear on helmets and swords. It also appears much in Haiku.

With the heavy use of chemical pesticides the tombo no longer appear in the numbers they used to.

Shrine Chickens

It is not uncommon to see chickens running free in the grounds of shrines, like these first two photos in Aoiaso Shrine, Hitoyoshi.

Some say it is because the rooster heralds the arrival of the sun, the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Some say it is because in the Iwato myth the assembled kami brought in roosters to try and trick Amaterasu out of the cave.

This third photo is from a small shrine next to Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki.

These last two photos  are from Iminomiya Shrine in Chofu, Yamaguchi.

Personally, I think the reason you find chickens at shrines is because the priest and family like free eggs.

Japanese Cormorant

The Japanese Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus,  known as Umui in Japanese, is also known as Temmincks Cormorant.

It can be found from Taiwan, across Korea and Japan, and as far north as Eastern Russia.

It has been domesticated by the Japanese to use in fishing. Known as Ukai, it can still be seen at many places across Japan.

The only piece of poetry I remember from my schooldays begins.... "the Common Cormorant, or Shag, lays eggs inside a paper bag. The reason you will see, no doubt, is to keep the lightning out...."

Two Tanuki

For a couple of months I have been enjoying the daily visit to my backyard by the local badger.

A couple of weeks ago there was an enormous fight right outside my window. It was dark and the weeds were high so I was unable to see what was fighting.

Since then the badger has not been seen, but each afternoon or early evening we get a visit from a pair of tanuki. I'm guessing it was they who fought the badger and won, though I am surprised. I would have thought the badger was stronger, but the tanuki are faster and there are two of them....

I'm guessing they are a mating pair as fall is the mating season. In English they are called racoon dogs. They look a little like racoons but are unrelated. They are related to dogs and foxes.

They are common to see, though its unusual to get to see them so close. They are the most common form of roadkill.

Skittish Egret

There are quite a few species of Egret (sagi in Japanese) in Japan, but I am not sure which one this is.

There are common, especially in rice paddies and rivers.

They are far more skittish than their cousins the Grey Heron, and if you stop to take a photo even from a distance they will fly off.

So I was really surprised to find one on the road while I was walking in the foothills of Izumo, but it did quickly fly off.

Other posts on Egrets, and the Sagi Mai, incorrectly translated as the Heron Dance can be found here.

Great Blue Herons

I am neither a twitcher nor an ornithologist, so some of these may be Grey Herons rather than Great Blues. Though, like all wild animals, they are naturally skittish around people, many live in urban settings and will allow you to get closer to take photos.... this one was in downtown Kurashiki.

With their long, spindly legs they are well adapted to wade in the shallow waters of ponds and rivers to find their staple... fish. This one is in the pond at the Tenmangu Shrine in Nagaoka.

Known as sagi in Japanese, they feature in many poems and paintings.

Graceful in flight, their wingspan can get close to 2 meters..

This one was in a drainage ditch in Tsuwano, literally a few meters away from where the Heron dance was being performed.

Mamushi

The most poisonous snake in Japan is the Mamushi, also the most common. Gloydius Bomhoffii is a pit-viper and is found all over.

About ten people a year die from its bite, though several thousand get bitten. I see them around my house and in the garden all the time, and as anyone who knows me will know I quite like snakes and do not have the irrational fear of them that many seem afflicted with.

My neighbor catches them and puts them in jars of sake to make a drink called Mamushi Zake. Though many will refer to it as a "tonic", the main use of Mamushi zake is as a viagra equivalent.

2013 Year of the Snake

2013 is the Year of the Snake so I thought I would post some pics of that most lucky of all snakes, the White Snake. Long associated with Benzaiten, one of the 7 Lucky Gods of Japan, white snakes have appeared in many stories and legends throughout history, in all probabilty albino mutations of regular snake species, but the trait is not passed on to descendants.

But Iwakuni in Hiroshima is home to the unique Iwakuni White Snake, the only place in the country where they appear and a registered national monument.

They are first recorded as appearing in the 18th century, and are a mutation of the common Japanese rat Snake, Elaphe climocophora.

Best wishes for the coming year to all my readers.

Mysterious Sea Creature

I had never seen this creature before and I have been unable to find out what it is, so if any of you have any ideas please let me know.

It was about 15cms long and was swimming on the surface in a small harbour on the south coast of Yamaguchi in August.

Its coloration was more vivid than these photos show, and its movement can only be described as elegant..

More Manhole birds

A unique bird is featured on the manhole for Nankoku in Kochi, the Onaga Dori, or Long tailed Cock has the longest feathers in the world that have been known to reach 10 meters in length. The birds have been bred here since the early Edo Period. The local daimyo used to use the feathers to decorate spears carried in his processions to Edo.

Haruno, also in Kochi features what I believe is a Japanese Wagtail, but I may be mistaken...

Ozu, in Ehime Prefecture, like Miyoshi in Hiroshima, still practise the ancientbart of fishing with cormorants...

In Kurayoshi, Tottori, a type of duck is featured.... I have been unable to find out why

Finally, Yuu in Yamaguchi features a kingfisher, kawasemi. There are numerous species of Kingfisher, but I presume this is the Common Kingfisher.

Seen along the way

One of the pleasures of walking alone is the opportunities to encounter other creatures. On the second day of my Shikoku Pilgrimage I came across this kamakiri, Praying Mantis. All the ones I had seen before were green and I have no idea why this one was brown, Maybe it was old, maybe it was male,.... more info on kamakiri can be found here

This little frog was ensconced in the coin-return lever of a drinks vending machine. I used the correct change so didnt need to disturb it.....

While taking a rest at Fujiidera another kamakiri explored my backpack.

While enjoying the view from my campsite this pair of grasshoppers/crickets/locusts..... having some difficulty identifying exactly what they are. Whatever they are, what they are doing is obvious enough. One of the species, called batta in Japanese, was the inspiration for the kids TV show character Kamenrider. Other sources describe them as Inago, a very popular food source in past times, though still available nowadays, most japanese have not eaten them.

Encountered on the trail

Came across this skeleton of a young buck Sika Deer yesterday as I was hiking across the Kitayama Mountains at the western end of the Shimane peninsular. Every time Ive hiked here I have seen deer, and one time when I slept out there I had them running by me all night as I slept on a small piece of open ground..

It may have died a natural death, or it may have been fatally injured in a territorial dispute with another buck. They no longer have any natural predators.

The name Sika Deer comes from the japanese word for deer, shika. There are not many in the mountains of shimane, but this little range of mountains is like an island and it is well populated with them.