Discussion

Spiky Pets

Themed restaurants are not new to Japan, but something new is restaurants with animal themes. Cat and dog themes seem obvious choices, but Harry is the name of a new type of themed restaurant in Japan; one with hedgehogs as a theme. There aren't just hedgehog pictures in Harry. There are real hedgehogs in glass enclosures.

The name of the restaurant chain, Harry, is derived from the Japanese name for the spiky little mammal; harinezumi or hari-nezumi. The literal meaning of the name is "needle mouse". A similar restaurant has been opened in Thailand with the name Harinezumi Cafe.

Because hedgehogs are covered with 3,000 to 7,000 stiff spines (the number varies depending on species), people often assume that hedgehogs are closely related to porcupines. They aren't. Porcupines are most closely related to beavers, capybara, and other large rodents while hedgehogs (Erinaceinae) are more closely related to moonrats, shrews, and moles.

Hedgehog spines are strongly rooted in the animal's skin and cannot come out easily. Porcupine quills are sharper than hedgehog spines and readily come loose from the porcupines, but because of barbs, they don't easily come out of porcupine victims.

n fact, unless removed, porcupine quills can work their way into the bodies of their victims. Not so with hedgehog spines. Regardless, careless handling of hedgehogs can result in injuries. When threatened, hedgehogs roll into a defensive ball. 

When mating, strong muscles in females' backs cause their spines to lay flat to avoid discouraging their mates. Hedgehogs are born with stiff spines, though the number is usually only around 100. Their spines are covered with a protective membrane to prevent mothers from being injured while giving birth. The membrane dries up and sloughs off within hours afterwards.

Average hedgehog litters consist of 4 or 5 hoglets, though sometimes as many as 7 have been recorded.

Hoglets leave their mothers after 4 to 7 weeks. They become fertile at 2-years of age. They tend to live solitary lives, rarely coming together except during the mating season. Groups of hedgehogs, when they do gather together, are called either an array or a prickle.

Hedgehogs got their English name around 1450 because they tend to like to live in hedgerows and have a pig-like snout. They also make grunting sounds similar to pigs. The hedgehog below found a different sort of dwelling place.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, are good swimmers, and can climb trees. Some hibernate, and when they do, they bury themselves under piles of leaves. They are omnivorous, eating mostly berries, fruit, insects, small mice, snails and frogs. Some cultures as far back as ancient Egypt ate them, believing that that provided health benefits. People in their native habitats tend to like to have them around because their diet helps get rid of harmful pests.

There are 17 hedgehog species in 5 genera native to Europe, parts of Asia, and Africa. They were introduced to New Zealand where they have no native predators and have become serious threats to several native New Zealand species. Hedgehogs are not native to Japan, but the Japanese are aware and fond of them. That is why Harry, the Hedgehog themed restaurant chain, is successful.

Here are more hari-nezumi on display at Harry. You can see some of the restaurant in the background through the glass. 

One of the things you can do is see them doing really cute things.

For a small extra charge, you can even hold them in your hands. It's a good idea to be careful when doing so.

Cuteness matters.

Artwork

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 – 1892) 

Yoshitoshi is considered by many to be the last great ukiyo-e master. His life spanned the end of the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) and the early years of the modern era. He continued to produce prints in the traditional style as other Japanese artists flocked to Western techniques and mass production until he was the last great master of a tradition that died with him. Artists in the next generation worked to restore that tradition with the shin-hanga (new prints) movement. 

The most famous work of Yoshitoshi is a series of prints depicting 100 Aspects of the Moon, published from 1885 thru 1892, the year if his death. Number 7 of that series shows a young Toyotomi Hideyoshi leading a band of followers in an assault on a fortress on Inaba Mountain, a real historical incident in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568 – 1603).

It isn't known when this next print was produced, but a comparison of Hedgehog Princess Looking at the Moon with the print above shows that some features are so alike that one is tempted to think some of the same woodblocks were used in their production.