A note from the Kumamoto International Rodent Desk: “nezumi” (鼠 is most often used, but you can also use 鼡, 鼢, 鼬, 鼦, 鼪, 鼫, 鼯, 鼴, 鼷, 鼹 or 鼺 depending on how much time you have) is often translated as “rat” but can also mean “mouse” - Japanese doesn’t quite distinguish between the two. (Disclaimer: I had a pet rat in college; they are far more intelligent than mice, kind of like tiny dogs.) Photos of kids playing with animals such as guinea pigs (マーモット, though they’re not marmots) and capybara (goes by the katakana) abound in this Year of the … uh … Rat? (To be clear, a マーモット is not a marmot but a guinea pig, which are neither from Guinea nor are pigs and are certainly not rats or mice, but you take your rodents where you can find ’em.) In fact, pretty much every rodent (齧歯類, gesshirui) - and even some non-mammals - incorporate the kanji 鼠. Let’s have a look!
Yamanezumi (山鼠) is a dormouse. Nonezumi (野鼠) is a field mouse. Hatanezumi (畑鼠, “field rat”) is a vole. Risu (栗鼠, “chestnut rat”) is a squirrel. Shimarisu (縞栗鼠, “striped chestnut rat”) is a chipmunk. Fukuronezumi (袋鼠 - “pouch rat”) is a possum (or opossum - your choice). Harinezumi (針鼠 - “pin rat”) is a porcupine. Nezumijika (鼠鹿) is, of course, a mouse deer. Mogura (鼢) is a mole. Note it’s one kanji. Nezumiiruka (鼠海豚 - kind of cute: it translates as “mouse sea pig”) is a porpoise. Namako (海鼠) is a sea cucumber, unless you dry them, in which case they become 熬海鼠 (Iriko), which is a dried sea slug.
Undoubtedly, there are more. If you can think of any, please let us know. - William
