Do Giant Snakes Live in Japan?

In Japanese culture, there have long been stories of explorers seeing massive snakes. In the remote mountainous region of Japan, early settlers told of gigantic snakes capable of eating full grown dogs and occasionally, unsuspecting travelers. While the reports of these snakes are nowhere near the size of cryptids such as Titanoboa (Read about Titanoboa here), it should be noted that the largest known snake in Japan is the Hime Habu, a viper snake said to reach around 6 feet long. In this article, we will examine several large snake stories from Japan in modern times and also possible explanations as to what they could be. 

On May 26, 1973, several forestry workers working on Mt. Tsurugi encountered a snake with shiny black scales. They described it as being as thick as a telephone pole and also having a white underbelly. The men said that about 16 feet of it was visible from the underbrush and from there they were able to estimate it to be around 33 feet in total length. The snake was said to make a chirping sound, and then slithered away into the dense forest. Other villagers too would report seeing massive snakes around this time, around 25 feet in length. 

The report frightened local villagers and caused panic. As such, a hunt began for the large snakes one month later, in June 1973. Volunteers from the village scoured the mountains around where the sightings occurred, looking for evidence of massive snakes. No large snakes were found in these searches, but tracks were discovered. The long track was about 16 inches across and crushed the weeds and brush. The people who viewed the track said it definitely was snake tracks, and tracks from a gigantic one. 

A second sighting would occur on a Chicken farm in Kochi Prefecture on January 24, 1987. There, Mr. Asakura, a farmer would say he heard strange noises coming from one of his chicken coops. When he went to see what it was, perplexing he saw what he described as a massive log laying on top of the coop. However, to his horror after getting closer he realized it was a massive snake about to eat one of his chickens. The farmer later learned the snake had already eaten several of his chickens. Mr. Asakura estimated the size of the snake to be about 20-25 feet long. The snake only left the area after his dogs chased it off. 

One other story of giant snakes in Japan concerns a case that took place In the Izu prefecture. Allegedly a giant white snake around 30 feet long stopped hotel construction when it came out of the wild. 

Construction workers refused to work for several days due to the fear they felt it could come back. A search was done for the animal, but nothing was found. 

What are the explanations for these sightings?

Although these large snakes are not as big as other cryptids out there, these cases are truly baffling when trying to find a plausible explanation. The first explanation put forth is that these sightings were exotic non-native snakes that were released into the wild. Snakes such as the Burmese and reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and green anacondas come to mind. 

But it’s important to point out that anacondas live in humid, tropical warm climates, and Japan has a temperate climate. These snakes do not adapt well to colder environments, and in captivity need to be watched closely since they are out of their natural habitat. Furthermore, despite the fact these sightings occurred in the warm summer months, for anacondas to get so large they would have to survive several if not many winters. 

Boa constrictors could adapt to the weather but are only known to get up to 10-12 feet. 

Reticulated pythons are massive snakes said to reach 25 feet and reside in Southeast Asia. Perhaps several of these were released into the wild and adapted to the habitat. 

Burmese pythons are another option. They can survive in cold weather, as we have seen this species due to in Florida. The largest Burmese python ever caught was in Florida at 19 feet and they are said to grow up to 23 feet. It is thought though these get much bigger. 

Read about Kansas’s Sinkhole Sam here

Overall, while one of the species could have been one of the snakes seen, there doesn’t appear to be a definitive choice. The length seen by the witnesses tend to be at the upper boundary or exceed the largest of these snake lengths.  Also, the majority of these large snakes typically are found in tropical environments.

It could be the case as well the witnesses exaggerated their claims too. 

According to legend, Mt. Tsurugi, one of the highest peaks on the island of Shikoku, is said to house a secret treasure within, and one guarded by a massive man-eating snake. While the Giant Snake of Mt Tsurugi is quickly dismissed as a legend by many, it does appear some Japanese people have seen some sort of large snake. 

One final strange piece of alleged evidence is a jawbone housed by a museum in Japan. It is 13 inches wide and claimed to be from a massive snake. Critics say though that the jaws are from a shark and the jawbone has been altered. Perhaps though this is real and came from a new snake species slithering around the forests of Japan.