Although temperatures are moderate in the south, Tokyo's weather stays just above freezing most days. The northern regions of Honshu, called Tohoku and Hokuriku, have huge snowdrifts, and Hokkaido gets extremely cold. But the northern weather does not stop travelers from all over the world from coming to see the enormous snow and ice sculptures in the Hokkaido capital, Sapporo. Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto is a favorite spot for viewing spring cherry blossoms Red Maple leaves and ripe persimmons make a colorful autumn canopy. Plants and Animals Japan is home to between 4,000 and 6,000 native species of plants.
Some plants also have symbolic meanings.
Japanese food uses not only fruits and grains but also some kinds of flowers and leaves. The Japanese use plants for making medicines, dyes, clothing, paper, and tools. Japan has unique animal life, with some species of woodpeckers, pheasants, dragonflies, crabs, sharks, snakes, salamanders, and sea mammals that do not exist anywhere else. Despite this diversity, Japan has only 118 species of wild land mammals, of which most are small rodents. There are also bears, deer, boars, flying squirrels, bats, monkeys, and a type of raccoon called a raccoon dog.