Does Japan have a national animal?

Does Japan have a national animal?

I can not find any info on a National animal but Japan does have a natinal bird.The following is a quote from a book I have
" The pheasent is now regarded as the national bird of Japan. It originally was designated as such in 1947 at the 81st Meeting of the National Bird Society of Japan"
" The Japanese pheasant,or kiji,was most likely selected because this green pheasant in unique to Japan,and futhermore because it appears in Japanese folk tales and so has becomean integral part of the Japanese cultural landscape"
I know its not quite what you were looking for but I hope it helps
"

It was a big help and was just what I was looking for.

What is Japan's National Animal?

There is no official national flower, animal or bird. Some people say the unofficial national flower of Japan is the chrysanthemum, which has long been a symbol of Japanese emperors. However, most say that the sakura (cherry blossom) is the national flower because so many Japanese love to watch and celebrate these flowers in the spring cherry-blossom season. There are also several candidates for Japan's unofficial national bird. The crested ibis and the crane are very popular birds in Japan and often appear in Japanese art. However, most people say the national bird is the kiji (green pheasant).

Is the highly celebrated Giant Panda not considered a national animal, even though the Giant Panda origniates from China?

Is the highly celebrated Giant Panda not considered a national animal, even though the Giant Panda origniates from China?

No, certainly not!

Nope!
The Giant Panda is not even indigonious to Japan.

Actually, Japan has quite a few animals of national importance. The crane, a symbol of purity and longevity, is (according to some legends) said to have brought the first ear of rice to Japan. The tortoise is an even more significant symbol of longevity, as there is a saying that "a crane lives for 1000 years, a tortoise 10,000". As such, cranes and tortoises are often depicted on furoshiki (wrapping cloths) given on weddings and other auspicious occasions. Of course, I think everyone knows about the famous Japanese carp, called 'koi'. These stand for masculinity, valor, endurance and tenacity and paper carps attatched to poles are used as a decoration on Boys Day (whishing for the sons to become as strong and brave as carp). A little less known are the 'tanuki' (sort of racoon dog) and 'kitsune' (fox). Both appear in numerous legends and are able to change their appearance. The kitsune are also protectors of shrines for Inari, a Shinto god closely connected with foxes. And finally, the horse was traditionally a sacred creature too, only meant for very important leaders and heroes. For example; commoners were not allowed to ride white or dappled horses, because those were considered to be servants of the gods. However, horses are also thought of as rather stupid, as shown by the fact that the written word for idiot (baka) consists partly of the character for horse. Well, I hope this info will be useful. It was a pleasure writing it, for those who have taken the time to read it.

I don't think Japan has a national animal, but there are a few species unique for Japan, like the Shibaken dog, snow-monkeys and the 3-colored wild cat.

There is no official national animal. The closest would probably be the Kiji which is what most would consider the (unofficial) national bird.

no japan does not have a national animal however many people consider the japanese pheasant to be the nationa l animal so no but the national plant is also unnoficial but it is the sakura or cherry blossom