Japanese badger
Amazing fact
The Japanese badger relies on its well-developed sense of smell to find small prey.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The Japanese badger relies on its well-developed sense of smell to find small prey.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Japanese badger
- Scientific name
- Meles anakuma
- Japanese name
- ニホンアナグマ
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Genus
- Meles
A member of the weasel family, it is found naturally in Japan and nowhere else, living on Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Shodoshima.
With its sturdy, large front feet and sharp claws, it digs burrows and catches prey in the ground.
In autumn it puts on a lot of weight to get ready for its winter rest, and in winter it spends much of its time sleeping in its burrow.
How the Japanese badger lives
It is generally active at night and sleeps in its sett during the day. It eats earthworms, insects and fruit. Even during its winter rest, it sometimes comes outside on warm days.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web井の頭自然文化園Basic data
- Size
- Head and body length: about 60 cm井の頭自然文化園
- Lifespan
- up to 19.5 years in captivityUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Diet
- Small animals such as earthworms and fruit井の頭自然文化園
- Range
- Japan: Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu井の頭自然文化園
Where the Japanese badger has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ニホンアナグマ
- 简体中文
- 日本獾
- 繁體中文
- 日本獾
- 한국어
- 일본오소리
- Español
- Tejón japonés
- Français
- Anakuma
- Deutsch
- Japanischer Dachs
- Português (Brasil)
- Texugo-japonês
- Italiano
- Tasso giapponese
- العربية
- غرير ياباني
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Teledu jepang
- Tiếng Việt
- Lửng Nhật Bản
- Русский
- Японский барсук
- Türkçe
- Japon Porsuğu
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 井の頭自然文化園 — ニホンアナグマChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Meles anakumaChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Japanese badger, look for this
- Look for the brown markings on its white face.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Japanese badger
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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