Going Alone

The video below shows the rest of this adventure to the abandoned Shinto shrine. Japanese “yamabiru” mountain leech Japanese Mountain Leeches (Haemadipsa zeylanica or yama-biru as they are called in Japanese) may sometimes be encountered during warm months when hiking through wet locations in the mountains of central Japan. Blood-sucking leeches are attracted to warm bodies which they detect and hone-in on like heat-seeking missiles. The most common form of leech locomotion i

Mantises are fascinating insects closely related to termites and cockroaches. All mantises are predatory and will eat anything they can catch…including one another. Cannibalism is common among mantises, especially during the mating season. The male’s head is not actually necessary for reproduction as control of reproductive movement is controlled by a small nerve bundle in the abdomen. Males who are cannibalized may actually have a better chance of reproductive success, as he

The Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world’s largest and the most dangerous animal in Japan. These insects are called suzumebachi (sparrow bee) in Japanese and are a common sight during summer months from the high mountains to the forested edges of large cities throughout the country. The insects make their living hunting other insects and specialize in attacking honeybee colonies where they will kill all of the bees and consume the larvae. The native honeybees of

Welcome to the Real Japan Monsters blog. My name is Kurt Bell and I am delighted that you have taken some time to share a little of Japan with me. I’m available on Facebook and Google+ if you have questions or just want to chat and say hi. I can also be found at the JVLOG forum with other Japan-related content creators. All links are listed below. I look forward to meeting you on-line. Have a great day! The Path of Wildness is easy to find The course of a stream Leaves blown

I shot this video last year after discovering a nest of yellow giant hornets in the hollow of an enormous wild cherry tree. While I set up my camera and tripod an old farmer working in a nearby field stopped his work to come see what I was doing. As he walked towards me to chat I warned him there were giant hornets in the tree. He stopped dead in his tracks and would not approach closer. Japanese farmers have a healthy and hard-won respect for these dangerous animals and I fe

Many people are familiar with the iconic image of Japanese Snow Monkeys bathing in steaming hot springs while winter snow piles in deep drifts around them. While you can indeed see bathing monkeys if you visit Japan, you may also sometimes encounter wild monkeys foraging in small family troops within quiet, green mountain forests. These animals are the Japanese macaque which the Japanese call Nihonzaru (Japanese monkey). Nihonzaru are the northernmost living primate (with the

Japanese Mountain Leeches (Haemadipsa zeylanica or yama-biru as they are called in Japanese) may sometimes be encountered during warm months when hiking through wet locations in the mountains of central Japan. Blood-sucking leeches are attracted to warm bodies which they detect and hone-in on like heat-seeking missiles. The most common form of leech locomotion is an inchworm-like gait which causes the leech to measure the earth with its body as it moves along. When in a hurry

***WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. ADULT SUPERVISION IS ADVISED.*** The Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world’s largest and the most dangerous animal in Japan. These insects are called suzumebachi (sparrow bee) in Japanese and are a common sight during summer months from the high mountains to the forested edges of large cities throughout the country. The insects make their living hunting other insects and specialize

While walking this morning I found a woods with this sign posted at the entrance. True to form I was chased (but not caught) twice! Fun times! The Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) is the world’s largest and the most dangerous animal in Japan. These insects are called Oo-suzumebachi (sparrow bee) in Japanese and are a common sight during summer months from the high mountains to the forested edges of large cities throughout the country. The insects make their l

Walking stick insects (Phasmatodea) are fascinating not only for their alien appearance but also for their behavior which includes rocking their bodies to appear as twigs moving in a gentle breeze. These insects are called Nanafushi ナナフシ in Japanese. This behavior may also be a clever trick to help the insect discriminate nearby objects from background clutter. Some species of stick insects are able to reproduce without males through a process called parthenogenesis. Some spe

The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. The spider shown in this video is quite small for the species and likely very young. These spiders have been measured with leg spans up to 250 mm (roughly 12 inches) and make their living by ambushing prey which they actively pursue over open ground. The spiders do not produce a web though they may trail a line of silk as they move which is used to control a fall in the

The Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) is the world’s largest and the most dangerous animal in Japan. These insects are called Oo-suzumebachi (sparrow bee) in Japanese and are a common sight during summer months from the high mountains to the forested edges of large cities throughout the country. The insects make their living hunting other insects and specialize in attacking honeybee colonies where they will kill all of the bees and consume the larvae. The nati

Hornet season is off to a great start in central Japan! Here’s a shot I got yesterday as I moved in for a close-up of a newly established hive. Don’t try this at home kids as these killers can fly much faster than you can run! The Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) is the world’s largest and the most dangerous animal in Japan. These insects are called Oo-suzumebachi (sparrow bee) in Japanese and are a common sight during summer months from the high mountains t

Meet my other pet! The music in this video is “One bullet left” by The Catford Studios. Learn more about the artist and hear more of their music at the following URL: https://soundcloud.com/spineccio This medium size Japanese Huntsman spider gave me a bit of a start this morning when I discovered it outside my father-in-law’s workshop. The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. The spider shown in this video is q

This medium size Japanese Huntsman spider gave me a bit of a start this morning when I discovered it in the restroom at work. The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. The spider shown in this video is quite small for the species and likely very young. These spiders have been measured with leg spans up to 250 mm (roughly 12 inches) and make their living by ambushing prey which they actively pursue over open grou

Did you know that there are thieves in the world of honey bees? I recently enjoyed a full day bicycle ride up and over the rugged peaks surrounding holy Mt. Ryuso in central Japan. At one point I discovered an active bee hive by the side of the road. The hive was occupied by indigenous Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica or ニホンミツバチ in Japanese). Though they produce less honey than the European honey bee the Japanese bees are a better match for this region as they are ad