With Tokyo being the world's tenth largest city (officially clocking in at 8,130,408 - but that would be living here, not coming in to work from the bed towns of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa) it can appear that the only nature inhabiting this sprawling concrete jungle are the few trees in the city's parks, the evil looking crows and the multiple instantiations of salarymen. I have been here a couple of years now, and I have seen a lot of carp, the odd turtle, a giant toad, some rats and a diverse range of insects.


So it was nice to pick up Nature in Tokyo by American naturalist Kevin
Short. He writes with humor, and insight, as he explores the explores the intricacies of Japan's ecosystems with  a keen eye for details. He reveals an abundance of plant life and some intriguing animal species - many of which are unknown in the West outside of zoos and botanical gardens.


Highlights include the unique breeding habits of the indigenous Japanese fire-bellied newt, the nocturnal mischief of Japan's raccoon dog, the mating rituals of the red dragonfly, and the lush swirl of life on Tokyo's tidal flats and coastal marshes.


A good read if you want to find more in the way of nature in Tokyo -
beyond that cockroach crawling through your kitchen.


Nature In Tokyo
Kevin Short

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha
  International (JPN) (February 1, 2001)
• ISBN: 4770025351