Book Review - Japan - Princeton University Press (WILDGuides)

      Mark Brazil's name has come to be associated with the ornithology of Asia, and I have benefitted greatly from his previous works, Birds of East Asia and Birds of Japan. Brazil now resides in Hokkaido and is well qualified to write this wonderful account of the natural history of the Japanese archipelago, which stretches for more than 3,000 km from the subarctic barrens at the northern tip of Hokkaido, to the subtropical zones of the outer islands in the south.

     Brazil points out that with a population of around 125 millions Japan is by any reasonable standard overpopulated, yet most of the people are concentrated in the greater Tokyo area and a few other major cities, and there remain natural areas for the ambitious naturalist bent on exploring them. This is especially true in Hokkaido.

     Japan is blessed with an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, and the cover of this book depicts perhaps the best known of all, the Japanese Macaque, the most northerly primate in the world, and the subject of innumerable television documentaries.

     No less extraordinary, and almost as well known, are the Steller's Eagles that migrate to Hokkaido in the winter, and provide a spectacular wildlife experience that nature lovers from around the world flock to see, injecting substantial revenues into the local economy. The Red-crowned Crane, an iconic symbol of longevity and happiness, is beloved by the Japanese and visitor alike.

     You may be surprised to learn (I know I was) that Japan hosts 203 species of Odenata, 52 of which are endemic. Blakiston's Fish Owl, the largest owl in the world, clings to a precarious existence in Hokkaido. Brown Bears hang on in the northern regions of the country, despite serious persecution and Asiatic Black Bears roam south of Blakiston's Line. There is an endemic giant salamander that almost defies belief and Japan's grey ghost, the Japanese Serow, whose reality mirrors the legends surrounding it. Red Foxes roam the landscape and exotic pheasants are hidden in their forest home. From rugged coastline to temple garden, and everything in between, wildlife may be found.

     Brazil does not hesitate to tackle controversy when needed. In regard to the Grey Wolf, now exterminated, he says, "Weren't we, in retrospect, rather more dangerous to the wolves than they could ever have been to us?" The result is an out-of-control deer population literally eating itself out of house and home. Japanese Crows are seen by some as a problem in cities, but as Brazil correctly points out, "The so-called crow problem is not a crow problem it is a people problem." Humans insist on leaving their trash on the street in plastic garbage bags which the crows with their strong bills are easily able to tear apart, and waste is strewn through the streets and borne on the wind. 

     This book will captivate you page by page and there is much to learn, not only of the natural history of Japan, but there are comments on the sociological aspects of Japanese society and the ways in which excessive human exploitation has impacted wildlife. It is perhaps a hopeful sign that the population of Japan is actually starting to decline, giving hope that endangered wildlife populations may have a chance to recover.

     I trust I am not being niggly when I point out there is an anomaly in the production of the book. I am not sure whether the printer had the pagination template wrong, but page 116 leaves you with a dangling sentence that is not completed until page 120. In the interim the flow of the original topic is interrupted by coverage of Harlequins and other sea-ducks.

     Despite this rare example of sloppiness in a Princeton book there is much to recommend it. For anyone even marginally interested in the wildlife of Japan this work will fill in the gaps in your knowledge, and expand on what you already know - all brought to you by one of Asia's foremost wildlife authorities.

Japan: The Natural History of an Asian Archipelago - Princeton University Press (WILDGuides)

Author: Mark Brazil

Paperback - US$35.00 - ISBN 9780691175065

384 pages - 600+ colour photos, illustrations and maps

5 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches (14.69 x 20.63 cm)

Publication date: 18 January 2022