Japan 3: A Cat Beckons

The Gotoku-ji Temple. Image source.

 

Editorial note: During 2026 Saint Michael's College academic study trip to Japan, our students were matched in small groups with students from Kokugakuin University in Shibuya, Tokyo. The groups set out from campus to explore Tokyo. The interaction was designed to facilitate cross-cultural exchange, provide an opportunity to practice English, and ways for St. Mikes students to explore with their Japanese peers. In many cases, the visits to culturally significant Tokyo attractions were a first both for our students and the Kokugakuin students. Following the tours, Kokugakuin students joined us for a dinner with Japan-based St. Mikes Alumni.

The Gotokuji Temple  

 Shane Geraldez 

    The Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo is famous for being the birth place of the Maneki-Neko cat (aka the beckoning cat or the lucky cat). During our visit at the temple, we got to see the different shrines and temples dedicated to the cat. They had a Grove or path filled with hundreds of tiny clay cats with pictures of deceased beloved cats. We noticed that the clay cats had names written on them. We greatly appreciated the chance to see this cat filled temple, and I hope to come visit again.
    During our outing, we took two trains to get to the temple and were grateful to our Japanese partners who navigated due to their familiarity with the metro system. When we arrived at appropriate station, we walked around 15-20 minutes through a suburban area. Along the way, the two Japanese students taught us some new words to express our feelings. Additionally, we found that it was very common for young children to be independently navigate the complex rail systems of Tokyo at a very young age. On every train journey we observed groups of young children and single individuals in their school uniforms confidently navigating by themselves. 
    In the the temple, we teamed up in groups of two to explore and choose a  tree and wooden structure to further look into. One group looked at a Japanese cedar tree and another looked at the history of the three story wooden temple. It was interesting experience to piece together information written in a different language: however, the Japanese students were very good at translating information.

 

 

Japan 2. Here there be Giants 2

The Japanese Giant Salamander: Folklore and Conservation Efforts

Dell Payne-Hoover

    During our stay in Nishawakura we spent a lot of time working with an environment restoration group. A main focus is on the Japanese giant salamander, a relic of the past with extensive folklore and culture surrounding it. In their prime they are known to grow to be 5 feet in length and weigh somewhere between 55-66lbs, with the capability to take someones fingers off if provoked. 
    These fierce creatures tend to feed on fish, bugs, and almost anything that will fit inside its mouth in adulthood, however according to a local folk story we heard they are also capable of eating children who wander too close to their dens.
    While in Nishiawakura a man currently leading the charge in giant salamander habitat restoration named Jimmy gave us a re-telling of local myths surrounding the giant salamanders in the area. 
    The story takes place a little over 300 years ago in Nishiawakura in a small rice farming town surrounded by forested hills and expansive streams. 
    It started small, with a few children here and there going out to play in the forest alone at night to never return, but those disappearances did not go unnoticed and the village went on an expedition to find their lost children only to stumble upon the biggest giant salamander any of the villagers had ever seen. Evidence of the children surrounding the den.
    No one in the village could take on such a foe alone and so they all gathered their coin together to hire a samurai from a few towns over to return the village safety. The samurai arrived and fought this slimy beast day and night. His endurance wearing thin, he hit a lucky blow on the monster finally putting him to rest for good. 
    The samurai settled down in the town, and for a while all was peaceful and the children ran safe in the woods once again. However mysteriously one by one, every few months a family member of the samurai would unexplainably fall dead. The samurai couldn't sit still and let this happen to his loved ones and so he and the town set off to investigate. They found the spirit of the salamander had come back, transformed by its hate into a demon spirit that was killing to seek revenge for its life cut short.
    To appease the salamander spirit a shrine was made and those from all around the town brought offerings and made prayers to the salamander. The gifts eased his aching spirit and finally, true peace was brought to Nishiawakura. 
    I cant say how much truth is hidden in this folk story, but still to this day every August the village holds a massive festival in honor of the giant salamander killed that day, keeping its angry spirit calm. 
    In the present day the Giant salamander faces extinction due largely to habitat loss from urbanization. Most of japans waterways are lined with concrete which makes nesting and safely laying eggs impossible for these creatures. Jimmy is attempting to track the salamander population in Japan and restore some of their nesting grounds, but its been difficult to secure any funding for the project. There is also the growing issue of hybridization, when Japanese giant salamanders crossbreed with Chinese giant salamanders imported and released by the illegal pet trade. These hybrids are known to be very aggressive in contrast to the Japanese giant salamanders generally docile unless provoked.
    I feel incredibly grateful to have seen and learned so much about the habitat restoration projects that are beginning to take place in Japan to save this incredibly special species. These salamanders hold such a special place environmentally and culturally and I'm honored to get to share a little of that history with you.

Japanese giant salamander photographed in its natural habitat by St. Michael's College Student Dell Payne-Hoover. While it is impossible to know precisely, this 60 cm (2 feet) individual could be upwards of 60 years old.

 

Japan1: Here there be Giants 1

 

 The Japanese Giant Salamander and Habitat Restoration Efforts 

Gianna Borelli 

    The Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) is a species native to parts of southern Japan. The salamander is most notable for its ability to grow upwards of five feet in length and live for approximately 70 years. Presently, this species is in decline due to a lack of proper habitat. The giant salamander prefers aerated waters with plenty of nooks to hide in. Most importantly, it requires muddy riverbanks in order to dig out a burrow for rearing juvenile salamanders.

 

    With the current landscape of rivers in Japan being built to include artificial concrete banks, in order to contain and guide rivers in a predictable manner, there is a need to transform available spaces into habitable zones. Moreover, there is an urgency to keep specific locations where giant salamanders live secret. This is done to protect the species from illegal pet sales and consumption by humans, which was done extensively in the past and has also contributed to their depleted population.  

    While traveling around the Japanese countryside, we were lucky enough to partner with a group working on revitalizing their giant salamander population. The project we assisted on was construction of a small pond directly off of the main river going through town. This pond would provide habitat for breeding and nesting giant salamanders as well as for other species, including, freshwater crabs, snakes, frogs, other salamanders, fish, water bugs, and many more.  

    The construction of the pond included three major steps. First we collected rocks and positioned them against the river bank. This step was intended to minimize erosion, so the pond wouldn’t join back with the main river. In this step we also created a rock dam at the downstream end of the future pond. Next we filled in between the cracks with mud, to more efficiently hold water. The last step was to plant native vegetation around the pond. This was intended to help hold the pond bank together against erosion, provide shade, food, and shelter for species encouraged to live there. 

     Unfortunately, this kind of restoration is rare due to the lack of funding for Japanese giant salamander protection. With the introduction of the Chinese giant salamander into Japan, there have been cases of hybridization. However, these hybrid salamanders are often larger and more vicious than either of their parental counterparts, and so this repopulation in an area lacking Chinese salamanders is ideal.

 

 

 

    While working with the restoration team, they shared a traditional story about the giant salamander I believe worth sharing: 

The legend of the Giant Salamander 

    Long ago in a small village, the people noticed their children were going missing. After searching for the reason, they concluded it was a giant salamander who had been eating their children. So they called upon a samurai hero to save their village. The samurai accepted their plea and went off to battle the giant salamander. In the end the samurai won and the salamander was slain. 

    However, after some time, the samurai’s family started dying of unexpected causes. They consulted a priest who said the slain giant salamander had turned into a demon and was seeking revenge for its death. The priest advised to create a shrine and offer gifts to the salamander's spirit. Once done, the spirit was purified and the samurai’s family was safe. Now, in some places a festival still occurs to honor the giant salamander and remember this story.