Japanese Bestiary is an art book brimming with fascinating literary texts, images, and objects featuring twenty-eight animals, created by renowned Japanese artists and artisans. Each animal, from the fearsome crow to the sublime crane, is sacred, occupying a central place in Japanese mythology, literature, arts, and crafts. In this art book, enriched with text, readers will find twenty-eight common animals, including the fox, the frog, the cat, the monkey, and the dragonfly; described through texts that combine haikus, stories, and real-life anecdotes, and accompanied by images of objects created by some of Japan's finest artists and artisans. The reader will gain an understanding of the importance of animals not only in Japanese legends and literature, but also in the latest manga and animated films. In some cases, the animals transform and acquire human attributes; in others, they appear depicted in their natural environment, throughout this carefully curated and representative selection. While most of the animals in this Japanese bestiary are considered auspicious, even those that are somewhat mischievous, malevolent, or uniquely sacred are imbued with powerful symbolism and have gained immense popularity in a country where everything is perceived as both ephemeral and transient, yet enduring. Japanese Bestiary is an ideal book for anyone interested in Japanese drawing and painting, animal illustration, and wildlife literature and art.