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Jun 4, 2021 · Learn more about the symbolism of animals in Japan, whether they are legendary or real. The emblematic animals of Japan. Through Japanese legends, there are several animals that particularly stand out from the others, becoming symbols of the Land of the Rising Sun. 🐟 The Koi: a courageous fish
- Japanese Macaque. First stop, Jigokudani Monkey Park. Imagine chilling in a hot spring, snow gently falling, and next to you? A Japanese Macaque, just soaking the day away.
- Tanuki. Part adorable critter, part legendary shape-shifter, these raccoon dogs are all about the duality of Japan’s wildlife. Spotted a ceramic tanuki with a massive belly outside a restaurant?
- Nara’s Sacred Shika Deer. Ah, Nara Park, where deer roam free and the selfie opportunities are endless. But these aren’t just any deer; they’re considered sacred, thanks to a legend that a deity arrived in Nara on a white deer.
- Japanese Giant Salamander. Moving on to something a bit more…slippery. The Japanese Giant Salamander is a creature straight out of a fantasy novel. These amphibians are living fossils, unchanged for millions of years, and they’re huge—some grow up to 1.5 meters long!
- Fox (キツネ) In Japanese Shintoism, several kinds of animals are considered the messengers of the gods, and foxes are among them. This explains why fox statues are often seen at Shinto shrines across Japan which protect the sacred shrine grounds as a guardian.
- Koi (鯉) Koi is a kind of freshwater fish that is native to Japan. They come in different sizes and colors, and Japanese people enjoy keeping them as ornamental fish at home or in ponds at traditional Japanese gardens.
- Cranes (鶴) Cranes are called “Tsuru” (鶴) in Japanese, and their beautiful appearance is characterized by the red patch on the head, white feathers, and a long thin neck.
- Frogs (カエル) Frogs are seen as iconic creatures that symbolize success and good fortune in Japan. Frogs are called “Kaeru” (カエル) in Japanese, which can also mean to return.
- ワンワン (wan wan) In Japanese, the most generic dog sound is “wan wan”. It’s like the English “woof woof”. Example: 犬いぬ がワンワン吠ほえる。 Inu ga wan wan hoeru. The dog went “woof woof”.
- キャンキャン (kyan kyan) This describes dog sounds that are from a smaller dog like a chihuahua. It can also represent a small dog that is in distress. Example
- ニャーニャー (nyaa nyaa) A cat’s “meow” is represented by “nyaa nyaa” in Japanese. A cat can sometimes even be called a ニャンコ (nyanko). Example: 子猫 こねこ がニャーニャー鳴ないている。
- ゴロゴロ (goro goro) The purr sound of a cat is “goro goro”. Example: 猫ねこ がゴロゴロ喉のどを鳴ならして近ちか づいてくる。 Neko ga goro goro nodo o narashite chikazuite kuru. The cat came closer while purring.
- Serow （カモシカ "Kamoshika"） Looking at its photo, you might be thinking, what on earth is this creature? A donkey? A goat? Actually, serows are ungulates, meaning they’re relatives of cows.
- Snow Monkey/ Japanese Macaque （サル "Saru"） A lot of people have heard of or seen Japan’s “snow monkeys”, thanks to their now well dated debut with David Attenborough on BBC.
- Bears （クマ "Kuma） Although you probably don’t have the image of island nation Japan as the home of any large dangerous animal, there are in fact two species of bear living here.
- Red-Crowned Cranes （つる "Tsuru"） Possibly the most famous of Japan’s native creatures is the crane, renowned as a national symbol. After nearly being hunted to extinction in the early 1900s, red-crowned cranes made somewhat of a comeback thanks to extensive conservation efforts, and were re-classified as “endangered”.
Jul 28, 2019 · In different languages, there is little consensus about what sounds animals make. This holds true in Japanese as well as other tongues. In English, for example, a cow says "moo," but in French, it's closer to "meu" or "meuh."
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Oct 11, 2023 · Common onomatopoeia can be broken up into categories, depending on what the sound is used to describe. The one for human and animal sounds is called 擬声語 (ぎせいご), and you’ll hear its content a lot from natives. In this post, we’ll focus on 25 animal sounds in Japanese in particular.
