What is some of Japan's unique wildlife?

Okinawa is a small island off the coast of the mainland and boasts the home of the Yanbaru Kuina, which cannot fly. It lives only in northern Okinawa. It's a pretty odd looking little nocturnal bird, and very rare. Yanbaru-kuina (Okinawa rail), Rallus okinawae. It's a member of the water rail family.

オオサンショウウオ Andrias japonicus The Japanese giant salamander is the second largest salamander in the world, growing in length to a massive 1.5 meters. The largest is the Chinese giant salamander, which grows to 1.8 meters while most other salamanders are only 5–15 centimetres in length. The Japanese species is huge and fairly ugly in appearance, though totally harmless. Its skin is a mottled grey, black and cream, and heavily wrinkled. This species has an elongated body, a long broad tail and two pairs of legs that are roughly similar in size. The eyes are tiny and positioned on top of the broad, flat head, providing the salamander with poor vision. It is however well adapted to its aquatic life.

Japanese Monkey. Suprisingly, They take a bath, wash their foods.

tanuki-- or racoon dog, they are a type of dog but they look kid of like racoons, look up a picture if you really want to see. they are known as shapeshifters and you see little statues of them outide resaurants and bars carrying a sake pot and a bill of its debt owed to bars

tanuki and fuko-chan

"supon"- turtle that bites- they eat it there mink whales- they eat that too

I like the Japanese Monkey. Groups of wild Japanese monkeys are living in Jigokudani Yaen-koen, which is located in the mountains in Nagano. You can see these famous monkeys all over in the park. They are used to being around people and living as if they are humans. There is an outside hot springs that was made just for the monkeys. In winter, you will see them soaking themselves in the hot water while the snow falls on their heads. Somedays they stay up in the mountains, but hopefully you will be able to see them bathe or swim in the hot springs. See them here, LIVE! http://gojapan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=gojapan&cdn=travel&tm=61&f=00&su=p531.31.152.ip_p531.29.420.ip_p284.8.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm