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Bundle 44: Omnipresent Animals

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.
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猿
monkey
JOK: 1028
In Japanese words and expressions, the monkey alternately comes off as badly behaved, wise, foolish, cunning, imitative, and uncontrolled in its passions. The interpretations of this creature's mind shift as quickly as a monkey jumping from branch to branch. Find out the Japanese equivalents of "fighting like cats and dogs," "monkey mind," and "Curious George." Also learn about the world-famous monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.
猫
cat
JOK: 1742
The cat is omnipresent in Japan, appearing in nearly every house in olden times and in cat cafes today. Having inspired scads of charming expressions, as well as Hello Kitty and beckoning porcelain figurines, cats have also stimulated the imaginations of creative types from Kuniyoshi to Soseki and Haruki Murakami. Find out why Japanese people have such deep affection for cats.
熊
bear
JOK: 1995
See why the Japanese fear bears and how to prevent attacks. Find out why various bear names contain 月 (moon), 赤 (red), 白 (white), 灰色 (gray), 袋 (pouch), and 猫 (cat), while combining 熊 with 洗 (washing) or 穴 (hole) produces names of animals that aren’t even bears. Learn about Ainu rituals with bears, as well as the sacred Kumano region and an ancient people who may be mythical.
鹿
deer
JOK: 2025
In parts of Japan (e.g., in Nara and Miyajima), deer are quite visible - so much so that oblivious people can't see the mountains for the deer, figuratively speaking. Because it's half of 馬鹿 (fool), this new Joyo kanji enables us to ridicule idiots (who have a contagious and incurable condition, by the way). As both a radical and an autonomous kanji, 鹿 appears in the names of several animals.
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