Stoat - okojo (English spelling)

Japanese: オコジョ - おこじょ（英語表記）stoat

It is an animal of the Mustelidae family in the Carnivora order of the Mammalia class. It is found throughout Eurasia north of 45 degrees north latitude, the Americas, and in eastern Greenland. In Japan, it is found in Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture, as well as in high mountains in the Tohoku, Kanto, and Chubu regions. It is also called Yamaitachi, and in Hokkaido it is called Ezo Itachi. Its body length is 24 to 29 centimeters, and its tail length is 8 to 12 centimeters. Its body color differs between summer and winter fur; in summer, its back is chocolate brown, its throat and belly are white, and in winter, its entire body is white. However, only the tip of its tail is black throughout the year. It resembles a Least Weasel, but is slightly larger, has a long tail, and is different in that its tip is black. This change in body color is related to temperature; in warm regions it does not bleach, but in polar regions there are individuals that are white all year round. Within its range, it is found in a variety of environments, including forests, grasslands, and near human dwellings. It builds its nests lined with moss and grass, but they are not always in holes or rock crevices, and can also be exposed. It is active during the day, but is primarily nocturnal. Its staple food is mice, hamsters, and lemmings, but it also eats small birds, rabbits, and frogs. It is a solitary creature with a territory of about 30 hectares, and has the habit of smearing secretions from its anal glands on tree roots and stones within that territory. Mating takes place during warm periods, but the fertilized eggs do not develop until winter (delayed implantation), and birth occurs between March and May, with 3 to 13 babies being born. The birth nest is built in a hole, and the babies are raised by their mother with their eyes closed until they are 6 weeks old. They then develop quickly, with females in particular becoming capable of mating at 4 months old. It is said that when they attack mice, they twist and dance to hypnotize them, but they are also sensitive to shocks and can die from just a loud noise, making them difficult to keep as pets.

[Minoru Asahi]

use

The winter fur of the ermine is almost pure white and is called ermine in Europe, and its coat was an indispensable symbol of the nobility during festivals. The Siberian fur is particularly high quality and is said to have supported the finances of the Russian Empire. Its summer fur is called stoat and is less valuable. It was also highly valued in ancient Europe as it was a natural enemy of mice and rabbits, but was introduced to countries such as New Zealand in the 19th century and is used to exterminate pests and for the export of fur. In Japan, it is not designated as a hunting animal and capture is prohibited.

[Minoru Asahi]

Folklore

The ermine is considered a mystical animal because of its appearance and behavior. In Nagano and Gunma prefectures, it is said to be a messenger of the mountain god, and is also called Yama no Kamino enkoro or Yama no Kaminokoro (meaning the dog of the mountain god). Hunters dislike meeting an ermine, saying that there will be no hunting for that day. This is because when hunting dogs hear the cries of an ermine, they chase it, making it useless. It is said that catching or chasing it will bring a curse. It is also said that ermine possess people and cause mental disorders. There is also a story of an ermine that possessed its wife after it was killed by a husband. The true identity of the spirit of possession called Kuda (in the Chubu region and other areas) or Osaki (in the Kanto region), which is a small animal kept by a certain family that possesses people, is usually an ermine.

[Yo Kojima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱食肉目イタチ科の動物。ほぼ北緯45度以北のユーラシア、アメリカ大陸の全域に分布するほか、グリーンランド東部にも生息する。日本では北海道と青森県のほか、東北、関東、中部地方の高山にいる。ヤマイタチともよばれ、また北海道ではエゾイタチといわれる。体長24～29センチメートル、尾長8～12センチメートル。体色は夏毛と冬毛で違い、夏は背がチョコレート色、のどから腹は白、冬は全体が白になる。ただし尾の先端のみ四季を通じて黒い。イイズナに似ているが、やや大きく、尾が長く、先端が黒いことが違う。この体色変化は気温に関係があり、温暖な地方では白化せず、極地では通年白い個体がいる。分布範囲内では森林、草原、人家の近くなど、さまざまな環境におり、コケや草を敷き詰めた巣をつくるが、かならずしも穴や岩のすきまにだけでなく、露出していることもある。日中でも活動するが、おもに夜行性。主食はネズミ、ハムスター、レミングなどであるが、小鳥やウサギ、カエルも食べる。単独生活者で約30ヘクタールの縄張り（テリトリー）があり、その中の木の根や石に肛門腺(こうもんせん)からの分泌物を塗り付ける習性がある。交尾は暖かい間に行われるが、冬まで受精卵は発育せず（着床遅延）、出産は3～5月で、3～13子を産む。出産巣は穴の中につくられ、子は6週まで閉眼で、母親に育てられる。その後の成育は早く、とくに雌は4か月で交尾可能となる。ネズミを襲うとき、体をくねらせてダンスをして催眠術をかけるといわれるが、自身もショックに弱く、大きな音だけで死んでしまうこともあるほどで、飼育はむずかしい。

［朝日　稔］

利用

オコジョの冬毛は純白に近く、ヨーロッパではアーミンとよばれ、そのコートは祭礼のときの貴族のシンボルとして欠くことのできないものであった。とくにシベリア産は上質で、ロシア帝国の財政を支えたといわれる。夏毛はストートとよばれ価値が低い。またネズミやウサギの天敵となるため、古代ヨーロッパでもたいせつにされていたが、19世紀にニュージーランドなどに移入され、害獣の駆除と毛皮輸出に役だっている。日本では狩猟獣に指定されておらず、捕獲禁止である。

［朝日　稔］

民俗

オコジョは、姿や挙動から神秘的な動物とされる。長野県や群馬県では山の神の使者と伝えられ、ヤマノカミノエンコロとかヤマノカミノコロ（山の神の犬の意）などともよばれている。猟師は、オコジョに会うとその日は1日猟がないといって嫌がる。猟犬がオコジョの鳴き声を聞くとそれを追い回し、使いものにならないからだという。とらえたり追ったりすると祟(たた)りがあるといわれる。オコジョは人に憑(つ)いて精神異常をおこすともいう。夫が殺したオコジョが妻に憑いたという話もある。特定の家筋で飼育する小動物が人に憑くという、クダ（中部地方など）あるいはオサキ（関東地方）と称する憑き物の正体も、だいたいはオコジョである。

［小島瓔］

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