Tiny box jellyfish — bell only 1-2 cm. 4 tentacles up to 1 m. Causes 'Irukandji syndrome' 20-30 minutes after the (often unfelt) sting.

Symptoms: severe lower back pain, vomiting, sense of impending doom, hypertension, pulmonary edema. Documented deaths in Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia. ICU treatment.

Warm Indo-Pacific waters — Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, southern Japan, increasingly common with ocean warming.

Nearly invisible in water. Drifts in coastal blooms during summer monsoon. Stings even after death.

Largest hornet in the world — up to 5 cm with 6 mm stinger. Orange head, yellow-black banded body. Killed enough Americans in 2020 to earn nickname 'murder hornet'.

Sting delivers high-volume venom that destroys flesh. 30-50 deaths/year in Japan alone, mostly from anaphylaxis or multi-sting attacks. Can sting repeatedly.

Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, eastern Russia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam. Forests, mountains, low elevation farmland.

Hunts honeybee colonies — a single hornet can kill 40 bees per minute. Attacks human nests aggressively at 5 m radius.

Up to 200 kg. Black with distinctive white V on chest ('moon bear'). More aggressive toward humans than American black bear.

Highest rate of unprovoked attacks among any bear species. Japan: 5-15 deaths/year, India: 10+ deaths in Kashmir alone. Mauls — targets face and head.

Forests from Iran east through Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Japan, Russian Far East, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea.

Mostly solitary, partly arboreal. Hibernates in north. More day-active than other bears. Attacks if cornered or with cubs.

Largest land predator in Europe. Males reach 350 kg. Mostly omnivorous; can outrun a horse over short distances and is an excellent swimmer and tree-climber when young.

Attacks rare but documented — about 10 fatal attacks per decade across Europe. Most occur when surprising a sow with cubs or a wounded individual.

Mountain forests of the Carpathians, Scandinavia, Balkans, Pyrenees, Alps, and Russian taiga.

Hibernates Nov–Mar in dens. Active at dawn and dusk. A sow defending cubs is the most dangerous scenario.

Up to 65 cm. Brown with darker oval blotches. The most common venomous snake in Japan — causes ~3,000 bites/year with 5-10 deaths.

Hemotoxic venom causes severe pain, swelling, occasionally kidney failure. Antivenom available; deaths now mostly elderly or untreated cases.

Forests, mountains, rice paddies of Japan (all main islands), Korea, China, eastern Russia.

Mostly diurnal in spring/autumn, nocturnal in summer. Often basks on stone walls. Used in traditional medicine — preserved in sake.

Up to 2 m — longer than most pit vipers. Yellow-green with darker blotches. Endemic to Japan's Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa).

Aggressive — strikes without warning. Hemotoxin causes severe tissue damage. About 50 bites/year on Okinawa; ~10% require hospitalization. Mortality <1% with antivenom.

Endemic to Okinawa and Amami Islands of Japan. Sugar cane fields, forests, ruins, sometimes inside houses.

Nocturnal hunter. Often climbs trees. Symbol of Okinawa — preserved in awamori liquor (habushu).

Up to 80 cm. Olive-brown body. The famous fugu — its liver, ovaries and skin contain tetrodotoxin, 1,200x more deadly than cyanide. Eaten as expensive delicacy in Japan.

TTX has no antidote. Causes paralysis with full consciousness — victims aware but unable to move or breathe. Treatment: ventilator until toxin clears. 50-100 cases/year in Japan, 5-10 deaths.

Coastal waters of Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan. Cultivated in special farms for restaurant trade.

Slow swimmer relying on toxin defense. Inflates when threatened. Licensed fugu chefs train 3+ years to safely prepare.