Dead or alive, the Japanese wolf remains one of the country's greatest natural mysteries. Having roamed the mountains and forests of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu for thousands of years, the wolf disappeared as the country rapidly industrialized in the late 19th century. For centuries, rural communities had revered wolves as guardians that protected crops from wild boar and deer. But disease and government-sponsored extermination campaigns drove the animal toward extinction, with the last widely accepted specimen collected by an American explorer in 1905.
Yet the story did not end there. For more than a century, people across Japan have continued to report seeing wolf-like animals, hearing mysterious howls echoing through remote mountains and discovering footprints, fur and scat that some believe point to the species' survival.
In Phantom Wolves of Japan: In Search of a Lost Mountain Guardian, journalist Alex K.T. Martin follows these enduring mysteries through years of reporting in mountain villages and shrine communities and interviewing scientists. Along the way, he accompanies a man who has spent more than half a century searching for the lost animal, explores the wolf's continuing role in Japanese folk belief and religion and examines the latest DNA research that is reshaping our understanding of the species' origins.
Part investigative journey, part cultural history and part environmental exploration, Phantom Wolves of Japan asks why the Japanese wolf continues to captivate the nation's imagination long after its disappearance — and what its story reveals about Japan's changing relationship with nature.
Alex K.T. Martin is an award-winning Tokyo-based journalist and a senior writer at The Japan Times. He was previously a reporter at The Wall Street Journal’s Tokyo bureau.
During the Book Break, the author will discuss the reporting behind the book and share memorable encounters from his search.
Doors open at 6:00 pm for a casual "Meet the Author" cocktail time. Dinner will be served from 6:30 pm and the talk begins at 7:15 pm.
The menu is Warm Smoked Trout and Salmon Salad, Breaded Beef with Madeira Sauce, Bread, Dessert, Coffee or Tea. A vegetarian option is available. Please inform the club of food restrictions when reserving (front@fccj.or.jp). Price: 3,000 yen for members; 4,000 yen for non-members. Beverages can be purchased at the venue at just 550 yen per drink (non-members can purchase drink tickets at Reception).
Online attendance (Zoom) is available by reservation at 550 yen per person.
The member reservation deadline is 2 pm September 11.
Non-members must reserve and pay by Tuesday, September 8.
No cancellations after Tuesday, September 8.
(The talk will be in English)
Library, Archives & Workroom Committee