For the next five weeks! The Echinoblog Goes to Tokyo, Japan!

I am travelling!  I am enroute to Tokyo, Japan where I will be spending about a month studying the starfishes of Japan at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo!!   which is approximately the equivalent of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.  In other words, their country's national repository of natural artifacts and biodiversity!

Today i recap some of my past articles on echinoderms in Japan! (but next week I will blog about the trip!)

1. All about hitode (ヒトデ) & momiji. The Blog about Japanese Starfish Names!!

2. The AWESOME Tako Hitode aka Plazaster borealis, the "octopus starfish"here.

Seriously, this thing is as large as the west coat Pycnopodia but we don't know anything about it!

3. Multiple posts about GIANT STARFISH!

Some are REAL......                                            But others are IMAGINED....

... and discovery of the giant "pumpkin starfish" Astrosarkus idipi in Japanese waters! 

4. Japanese Cartoon mascots aka Kawaii! 
                                        
5. And of course TWO posts on Japanese Cephalopod Monsters in Pop Culture! Because they are awesome.

This one is more about Japanese kaiju in TV and film...

Whereas this one is more artistic, showing different ways they are portrayed creatively..

And next week I will share more details about my trip!!