Two species of bears are found in Japan: Higuma, the brown bears living in Hokkaidô, and the tsukinowaguma, the black bears on Honshû, Kyûshû and Shikoku. The higuma, which can grow up to 2 m and weigh 400 kg and are thus the largest carnivorous animals in the country, play a very important role in the legends and traditional way of life of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan.
