Trends in Otter-Related Newspaper Articles in Japan over 135 Years

To understand the chronological change in people’s interests and attitudes toward the Japanese otter, which became extinct during the 1990s, the number and contents of otter-related newspaper articles over 135 years were investigated. This investigation shows that, in the consciousness of people, the otter shifted gradually from being the animal of a neighborhood in the 19th century, economic value in the early 20th, conservation need in the late 20th, and symbolic value after 2000. Presently, the number of otter articles is progressively decreasing owing to a lack of news.