English speakers see cats and dogs as enemies, but the Japanese and Chinese perceive the dragon and tiger as well-matched rivals. The dragon symbolizes everything from imperial power and water to China itself, whereas the tiger represents earthly matter and India, also inspiring scads of expressions about risks. Meanwhile, both cranes and turtles are emblems of longevity and good fortune. Moreover, the crane appears in proverbs, paintings, origami, ceramics, fabrics, poems, Noh dramas, songs, folktales, and even math problems, as well as figurative expressions, whereas the turtle symbolizes slowness, wisdom, experience, divisiveness, ugliness, and sexual attractiveness.

Being in Japan means being aware of certain omnipresent animals: the deer who bow to visitors in Nara; the monkeys who bathe in onsens and who fill Monkey Park on Shodoshima; the household cats who have inspired countless sayings, including one meaning "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" because cats are everywhere in Japan; and the fearsome bears who have necessitated bear bells on trails. This bundle shows how the Japanese relate to these species in visual art, in literature from folktales to famous novels, in maneki-neko figurines, in carvings of the three wise monkeys, and more.