firefly, described in texts combining haikus, tales and anecdotes from everyday life and illustrated with objects produced by the some of the most celebrated Japanese artists and craftsmen. Readers will see just how central animals -from the most fleeting to the most majestic, from the wildest to the most domesticated -are to Japanese legends and literature but also in the latest manga and animated films. In some cases, the animals are transformed and endowed with human attributes; in others, through a representative selection of Japanese art -paintings, prints, fashion and common Japanese objects such as netsuke (miniature sculptures)- they appear lovingly portrayed in their natural element: typical animals of the countryside, mountains, forests, rivers and sea, and even today's cities. While most of the animals in this Japanese bestiary are good omens, even ones a tad mischievous, downright evil or uniquely sacred, such as the sika deer or the crane, all are invested with strong symbolism and have become extremely popular in a country where everything is ephemeral and transient, yet everything remains. Japanese Bestiary is an ideal book for anyone interested in Japanese drawing and painting, animal illustrations and wildlife art and literature.