Finding a way to get into marine conservation in Japan as an international explorer is challenging, to say the least. We learned quite quickly, you need a champion internally and someone who’s going to vouch for your legitimacy. It took us MONTHS to figure out how we were going to navigate our expedition chapter in Japan. The language barrier was significant, making it that much harder to communicate and research effectively. One of the main reasons why we were struggling to find active Japanese projects that have positive outcomes.
It wasn’t until we met a past employee from the tourism office that we started to make real progress. And he alone was able to open our eyes to what really is happening in Japan when it comes to conservation. Every story this newfound friend was telling me about had us so excited we could hardly sleep. It felt like we had just found a way into Japan’s hidden world of epic impact.
Recognized as Japan’s living national monument as of 1948, these giant salamanders are endemic to the country as well as an incredible testament to the country's rich biodiversity. Stretching up to 1.5 meters in length, they are among the world's largest amphibians and have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years, often referred to as “living fossils.”
Their wrinkled, mottled skin and beady eyes give them a prehistoric appearance that piques one’s curiosity. However, despite their size and distinct look, these amphibians lead secretive lives, usually found hiding under rocks in fast-flowing streams. Their elusive nature adds to the air of mystery surrounding them, making any encounter in their natural habitat rare.
Our friend from the tourism office was willing to put us in touch with a giant salamander expert, Ito Yoshihiro. After an accepted Facebook friend request, Ito and I started a chain of constant communication, translating one another’s messages to figure out when and how we were to meet up. Google Translate was going to be our best friend for this one when it comes to the harshly difficult language barrier.
Located in the famed city of Kyoto, Japan, Ito wanted us to meet him in an area called Gifu, which was about a two-hour drive from the cultural epicenter. We’d then drive with Ito another two hours to our final destination where he observes wild, pure Japanese giant salamanders—not to be mistaken with the cross breed salamanders that have mated with the giant Chinese variety. But before I get into all that, I need to set the scene for you.
We were wedged into Ito’s car, driving around the remote countryside of Japan, not allowed to know our final destination and not allowed to share where we were going with anyone. Ito and I were going back-and-forth in the front seat using a translator to warm up to each other in person. Winding roads took us past the most incredible mountains and beautiful, countryside landscapes, giving us a glimpse into a much different side of Japan than that of city life.
After arriving at our secret destination, Ito immediately hopped out of the car, popped the trunk and donned his dry suit as it was quite cold in this mountainous region. His attire for this ordeal was so extensive, it almost looked like he was getting ready for a battle in order to find and show the salamanders to us.
Meanwhile, we only had rashies, long leggings and our snorkel gear. He was laughing at the fact we were going to be very, very cold in this shallow stream water. His gestures and facial expressions required zero translation—we got his point fast and we're now mentally preparing to beast the cold.
With human-made dams all around us, this seemed like a weird place for salamanders to spend their time. However, this was a thing in Japan, like many other places. The natural environment for these salamanders were being changed and adapted to meet the needs of humans—hence the dams everywhere. This was very far away from what the salamander’s natural habitat was like before human intervention eons ago. Ito was insistent that we had made it to the right place, despite the dams.
There are two types of giant salamanders—the ones that come from Japan and the ones that come from China. The biggest difference between the two is their behavior. Japanese salamanders are more docile and calm, while the Chinese variety are more aggressive with a vicious bite. The cross-breeding actually began when the Japanese began importing Chinese salamanders for consumption.
It’s said that more than half the salamanders found in Japan are cross-bred, which means there’s potential for a total extinction of the original Japanese giant salamander in the future. Not surprisingly, Chinese giant salamanders are also listed as critically endangered. Nearly 80% have been wiped from the map because of over consumption. Ito promised us that the salamanders we were seeing were “pure-bred,” and entirely Japanese. Due to the 75 years of protection put in place in the country, he said “these salamanders are still ok.”
The process of searching for the salamanders was unlike anything we’d ever seen before. Ito asked us to stand back while he worked, which consisted of him walking across the dam structures and floating around the stream, face down, almost as if he were a dead body floating along the waterways. Arms and legs fully spread out, he buried his head into the rock structures, searching aggressively for the salamanders.
He was extremely adamant in us following his rules. And his rules were simple:1) Ito was to do the searching. 2) Once he found some salamanders, we were to get in the cold water face down with our limbs spread out like a starfish, as he had readily demonstrated through the search. And 3) Under no circumstances were we to touch the salamanders.
He explained over and over that a salamander bite would result in big issues and, of course, touching animals is never cool. When Ito talked, we listened, as he was clearly the master of all things giant salamanders.
Ito had a successful career in sales before he decided to drop everything and pursue his giant salamander dreams. In the first grade, he saw one in his local aquarium and the rest was history. He was hooked. “It didn’t move much, but I loved it,” said Ito.
Having a massive realization that it was his destiny to be among the creeks, streams and rivers in this area that shall not be named, he became a certified scuba guide, completing over 3,000 dives. He soon became the ONLY guide to take select explorers like us out to see his beloved giant salamanders.
Working alongside Gifu University and local high schools, his days are spent conducting citizen science, identifying close to 300 salamanders in these waterways. He does a large-scale survey once every five years, which has led him to want to do more for these ancient creatures. With the help of a colleague, they are devising ways to tag salamanders so they can learn even more about these elusive species—and to make sure there isn’t any crossbreeding happening on his home turf.
What was arguably just as epic as seeing the salamanders themselves was seeing how excited Ito got when he found one. That level of stoke was only something we could hope to feel one day about, well, any kind of aquatic creature really!
With his feet high in the sky and his head stuck in the rocks, he’d summon us with one flailing arm to cross the river and get on his level. At first the few we found were what he deemed “small” and “not a good representation” of how big they can get. Because of that, the search had to continue.
The further down the stream we got, the bigger the salamanders got as well. It wasn’t until hour four that we got extremely lucky. One of the largest salamanders Ito has ever seen in these waterways was OUT from under the rocks and swimming, in broad daylight. We gathered around, fascinated at the size of this prehistoric creature. Amazed that this is what Ito gets to spend his days doing!
Ito said he had not seen this particular salamander in years, so this was a special moment not just for us, but for him too. With a missing foot, this guy looked like he’d been through a lot—as expected when these creatures can live well into their 70s, if not longer.
In Japan, the primary threats to giant salamanders are often human-induced, such as habitat destruction from river modifications, pollution and illegal capture for the pet trade. When it comes to natural predators, their commanding size means they have very few threats in their natural habitat.
However, younger and smaller salamanders are still vulnerable to predation by creatures such as large fish, birds and other carnivorous aquatic animals. As the salamanders grow, their risk of predation decreases significantly. So, we weren’t too sure what happened to this one’s foot, but he seemed to be doing just fine without it.
At one point the salamander LAUNCHED at Ito, and in a panicked state, he swam away as quickly as he could. Terrified of a salamander bite or bad interaction, we realized it was officially our time to get out of the water.
Not only was Ito one of the nicests people we met on our expedition, but we learned so much from him, even with the language barrier. Watching someone so passionate about something as curious as a salamander was inspiring. It made us want to seek out our own versions of that kind of child-like wonder and awe Ito possesses when around this niche and special species.
Being with Ito made me reminisce on my younger years being obsessed with beluga whales. I carried around a beluga stuffed animal and would recite facts about them, and all kinds of whale species, for as long as I can remember in my early childhood. I had creatively named my stuffed beluga, “Whale,” of course.
I’m not sure if we will meet someone like Ito again. He was truly one of a kind. However, he did leave us with a desire to tap back into that child-like wonder that we all had at one point. He left us with a few golden nuggets that have stuck with us since.
First, he told us that his work was “only just beginning,” and we couldn’t help but think we certainly had that in common, albeit from worlds apart. Even though he’s been studying these creatures for 15 years, he said that the learning never stops. And if it does, then there’s a problem.
Next, he said that “there’s no such thing as work.” When you love what you do, then you’re never really “working,” are you? He said that he could have spent the rest of his life in sales, but his passion was sitting right in front of him in these waterways. A career shift was imperative. And something a lot of us grapple with too in our every day.
And lastly he left us with one final nugget of wisdom—to create the life you really want. He explained that getting to this point in his life, where he’s teaching and guiding scuba divers during the winter months in the ocean and then spending the summer months with his head stuck in streams searching for salamanders, did not happen overnight. But with some persistence, unwavering passion and commitment to what he loves, he got there. All nods to us that anything is possible.
To be continued …
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