This morning, as I was emerging from the house to get in the car, I saw a small, brown critter, about the size of a cat, but different. I thought at first, it was Tanuki, the Racoon Dog common to Japan (and caricatured in countless statues outside of izakayas). So, when I got to work, I Googled it, and turns out I was wrong. I asked around, and finally, my Boss' secretary suggested that it might be a "hakubishin." Sure enough, that's what it is. In English, it's called a "masked palm civet." Tomoko said not to mess with it because they're mean. Apparently, they've also been indicted as co-conspirators in the SARS outbreak a few years ago. In any case, it didn't stick around long enough for me to do anything except stare at it in wonder as it scurried across the street into the neighbor's yard.
It was neat to see something other than tonbi, though (those are the seahawks (black kites, really) that try to steal your lunch by the beach). Hopefully, I'll see it again before we leave.
(Photo courtesy of Animal Photos!)
(Photo courtesy of Animal Photos!)
1 comments:
I saw one of these last night in Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku! We thought it was a cat at first - and then spotted it's distinctive nose and tail. They must be urban dwellers - but he was desperately trying to get over a wall into a big garden at the time.
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