The rabbit is one of the animals of the Japanese Zodiac (jūnishi). (The kanji for the junishi version of usagi is 卯.) People born in the year 2011 are said to have been born in the year of the rabbit. There are twelve animals in the zodiac, so the previous year of the rabbit was in 1999, and the next one will be in 2023. Rabbit people are said to be the most fortunate. They are smooth talkers, talented, ambitious, virtuous and reserved. They have exceedingly fine taste and are regarded with admiration and trust.
The back legs of rabbits are larger and longer than the front ones. This explains rabbit hops, and it helps them run faster. They are noted for their long ears. Rabbits’ teeth grow fast, so they must chew hard things to keep them from growing too long. They have short fluffy tails. There are many species of rabbits, distinguished by size, color of their fur, color patterns, etc. Some rabbits have fur that changes color with the seasons to help them camouflage better. The snowshoe rabbit is especially noted for this.