Those who walk on 8 legs
Long before I can even remember, I have always had a phobia involving things that walk on 8 legs. In my family, only my Dad would be perfectly fine with picking them up and taking them outside, where eventually they would somehow find their way back inside. Sadly, I have his ability to pick them up unfazed by either me or my sister.
When I was at university, I shared a house with other students, and a few of them also dared to stand up to the mighty legged one. But I knew one day I wouldn’t have people to fall back on. One day would come when I’d be on my own to deal with the legs or hope it walks off to find something more entertaining. I have many bad memories involving the star of today’s story, stories which would be perfect for a dark, cold, stormy night swapping scary stories around a lit pumpkin… or perhaps the power went out due to a typhoon.
But today I want to review my experiences so far after being in Japan for over a year. Firstly, when you join JET, you will no doubt hit the bug section of the chats, and there will be many people ready to scare you with their horror stories or just stories in general.
Japan’s climate is varied, but it’s often described as subtropical. The summers are very hot, and the country has its own rainy season. The animal life in Japan is very different from what I am used to back in the UK, with things such as tanuki, monkeys, flying squirrels, mukade and more. Often, I see lizards just chilling on the pathways and butterflies are huge compared to their UK counterparts.
After being told many tales of those with many legs, you may, if nervous of such things, be panicking and wondering what horrors you may face when coming to Japan. The answer will vary depending on where you are and on some factors. If you are placed in a big city, the most you will probably see is cockroaches. Perhaps the odd moth or two, but nothing beyond that, simply because the scarier members on our list prefer nature.
If your house has wooden flooring and is on a floor higher than two or three, and you are in a city, the likelihood is you won’t see anything beyond small, tiny jumping spiders. And yes, I went nearly a page without naming them… achievement unlocked.
However, my first run-in with the largest eight-legged member on my list occurred when I was walking down some stairs in a shopping mall parking lot. So even if you win the housing jackpot, you will not be fully in the clear if you plan to leave your house for work or to get food.
Japan is home to a huge variety of eight-legged wonders, with the big guy at the top being the huntsman. However, these guys, despite their size, will not attack humans unless cornered…and even then, they are apparently more scared of you. No matter how many times I tell myself this, it doesn’t help my nerves. But the huntsman is the biggest by far that you will see; however, the smaller varieties are more poisonous, so don’t celebrate too quickly. The rule goes that if you see a huntsman, you will not see the second member on my list, Lady Mukade. Huntsmen are very territorial, which makes me uncertain how I feel when I finally saw my second on the wall of my stairwell during the rain.
In the year I have been in Japan, I have only seen two live huntsman, and whilst two may seem too many to those with phobias, it could be worse. If your home has tatami or you are living near mountains in more rural areas, you are at risk of seeing the second member of the list. Mukade is essentially a centipede with a bad attitude, known to stand itself up when threatened. This entry will climb into bed with you and leave painful welts all over your body. In fact, the fear of mukade was so real that it spawned many Japanese yokai or demons who share features with mukade. Mukade apparently also hisses and makes clicking noises, so not a fun thing to hear if you live alone.
My life in Japan has been more spider-free than I was initially thinking, and for that I am grateful. I have seen no mukade, but I have been told by my colleagues that they can be found near the mountains and hills in Saga.
The third member on the list is the Asian hornet, which poses a very real threat even back in the UK. If you see one, you are encouraged to call an exterminator immediately, as their bites can result in some nasty symptoms. I recall seeing one back in the UK, and its sting put a colleague into hospital for the afternoon. I have seen a few of these horrors since being in Japan, but thankful for no more than one by itself at a time.
Living in Japan comes with its own challenges, and to some, spiders may be no big deal. But it’s always important to arm yourself with knowledge before you choose to move or visit somewhere for an extended period. I maintain bug spraying around my home and continue to keep things as clean as possible. The more you prepare, the better Japan sells many products to fight these challenges, and if you research your enemy, you will have a greater understanding of how to combat them. You may be lucky and never see any of the or you may maybe unlucky and move into your new place and find all the above. It’s a gamble we all take when moving to a country with a sub-tropical climate.
At the end of the day, all I can advise is staying on top of your bug spraying, putting out the poison dust early on your steps if you know there are mukade nearby. If you're lucky enough to be able to own a pet cat are great insect repellent, and dogs will no doubt want to play with the critters. Cleaning your home and even putting food waste in the freezer if you’re a few days from a collection can also spare you the smell and rotting food. There also seems to be a consensus that citrus sprays are very off-putting to spiders, and they will actively avoid strong-smelling homes.
When arriving in your new home, it will become your castle, and you must protect it at all costs. Good luck!
