Asian black bear
In Japanese culture, the Asian black bear is traditionally associated with the mountain spirit ("yama no kami") and is characterized variously as "mountain man" ("yamaotoko"), "mountain uncle" ("yama no ossan"), "mountain father" ("yama no oyaji"), a loving mother and a child. Being a largely solitary creature, the Asian black bear is also viewed as "lonely person" ("sabishigariya"). Asian black bears feature very little in lowland Japanese folklore, but are prominent in upland Japan, a fact thought to reflect the bear's greater economic value in upland areas. According to the local folklore in Kituarahara-gun in Niigata, the Asian black bear received its white mark after being given a silk-wrapped amulet by "yama no kami", which left the mark after being removed.