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<\/a><\/p>\nThe deep mountains of Honshu support remnant populations of much larger mammals too, such as Asiatic Black Bear and Japanese Serow (antelope) while in Hokkaido you may even see a Brown Bear (although these are rare and shy). Black Bears, having been perilously close to extinction at one point, have recovered to the extent that they sometimes stray into villages and towns near mountainous areas in search of food.<\/p>\n
Indeed, any remote village on Honshu island, such as Yadorigi, might expect a chance encounter with an assortment of creatures such as bears, the native Japanese -Raccoon Dog, -Wild Boar, -Weasel, and -Badger, the \u201cShika\u201d deer and even the Japanese Macaque. In the early summer, offspring of some species are becoming independent of their parents and establishing their own territories, which means that encountering wildlife becomes a higher probability than in other seasons.<\/p>\n Shika Deer, famously tame in tourist places like Nara Park and Miyajima island,are the most common large mammal and can be found throughout the country; their wild counterparts, however, tend to be very shy and wary, avoiding any kind of human interaction at all.<\/p>\n One thing Japan is famous for is its diverse birdlife. Summer is an interesting time to view birds in Japan, as you can not only observe the summer breeders but also all the resident species. Most people are interested in the colourful, more attractive, and relatively easy to see species such as the spectacular Narcissus Flycatcher, though of the resident species, the iconic Red-crowned Crane as well as Blakiston\u2019s Fish Owl, Copper Pheasant, Green Pheasant, Japanese Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Murrelet, Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper and Rock Ptarmigan are some of the targets for people visiting the main islands of Japan.<\/p>\n (Many of the smaller islands also have distinct subspecies or rare endemics; serious birders will make the effort to list as many species as they can, with many trying for the elusive Fairy Pitta and Mountain Hawk Eagle or heading to the southern islands in search of Lidth\u2019s Jay, Amami Woodcock, Pryer\u2019s Woodpecker and Okinawa Rail.).<\/p>\n Another aspect of summer birding in Japan is the opportunity to hear the magnificent morning chorus of birdsong that prevails in many locations, not to mention the chance to observe lovely small passerines such as reed warblers and buntings singing in the dawn light from the tops of wildflowers or seeding grasses.<\/p>\n