Glirulus japonicus

No.27 Japanese Dormouse

Glirulus japonicus is a type of arboreal, nocturnal rodent called a dormouse. Similar to both mice and squirrels, it has thick brown hair, a fluffy tail, and a black stripe on its back. It grows to lengths of 105-135 mm and have sharp claws on its feet that enable it to run upside-down on tree branches. Glirulus japonicus resides in deciduous and coniferous forests across Japan, except on the island of Hokkaido. Once considered to be Shinto guardian deities of the mountain, they are now listed as “nearly endangered” by the Ministry of Environment in Japan due to deforestation.

Dugesia japonica

No.29 Type of Planarian

Dugesia japonica is a notable non-parasitic flatworm found across East Asia. Growing between 10-35 mm long and 1.5-7 mm wide, it has an elongated brown body, a triangular head, and two eyes. It is the most common freshwater planarian found in Japan, and resides in both running and standing water. Like others in its genus, Dugesia japonica is famous for being able to completely regenerate itself from a small, amputated part of its body. It also has a well-organized brain with decision-making capabilities. Because of this, Dugesia japonica is used as a model organism within neurobiology and regenerative medicine.

Omphalotus japonicus

No.14 Tsukiyotake

Omphalotus japonicus is a species of mushroom known in Japan as “tsukiyotake” or “moon night mushroom.” Like others in its genus, Omphalotus japonicus has a bioluminescent body in darkness. In daylight, it is often brown or orange, with caps that grow in a kidney or half-circle shape. It can be found in beech trees in cool, temperate forests in Japan, China, eastern Russia, and Korea. Omphalotus japonicus is poisonous if ingested, causing nausea and vomiting. It is often mistaken for other mushroom species that are edible, such as Shiitake and Hiratake mushrooms.

Fibrocapsa japonica

No.13 Type of Eukaryotic Algae

Fibrocapsa japonica is a type of eukaryotic algae called a raphidophyte. It is unicellular, golden-brown, has no cell wall, and possesses flagella. First reported in Japan, Fibrocapsa japonica blooms are potentially toxic to marine life and have been associated with large fish mortality events in Japan. It blooms worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters with high nutrient conditions. While the mechanism for its toxicity is not well understood, it is known to produce neurotoxins, mucocysts that can clog fish gills, haemolytic compounds that destroy red blood cells, and reactive oxygen species that injure gill tissue and cause asphyxia.