Hornet Sighting, Nightmares Do Come True

The mythical Japanese Hornet has been sighted. On our recent weekend adventure to Kurama and Kibune, the large beast was spotted on the lower portion of the trail. It looked tenacious and fierce, proud of its notorious reputation. I'm almost certain that it smelled the fear emanating out of my body (or maybe that was just the sweat from the 90+ degree heat). Either way, he gave us a dance that clearly said "stay away" and we obliged. One thing we've learned, don't mess with the Juju in Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. This guy was left well enough alone.

Update: We've come across these hornets on other hikes. They appear to live in the woodland hills around Kyoto.  No stings yet, but we'll post on the damage if it occurs.

Japanese Hornets -We aren't the only thing Huge in Japan

So I (Kevin) came across this little article on the interwebs today, which discusses the Japanese Hornet.

Now, I've already got an irrational fear of honeybees... I've been stung many times with no adverse reaction.  These mofos SPIT flesh melting acid and also kill 40 people per year.

I have yet to see one of these hornets in the wild, but fully anticipate a full on anxiety-attack when our paths cross.