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NABARI, Mie -- A white frog found in this western Japan city is attracting attention for the animal's fabled ability to bring good luck.

On the morning of Aug. 27, a man in Nabari, Mie Prefecture, found the frog clinging to the side mirror of his car when he was about to go to work. According to the man, the frog was only about 3 centimeters long. The animal wouldn't move on its own, so he picked it up and released it at a nearby park.

White frogs are thought to be quite popular based on some people's belief that they are a good omen. "Kaeru," the Japanese word for frog, is a homonym of the "kaeru" meaning "to return" or "to come home," found in expressions including "Okane ga kaeru" -- customers and money will return -- "Fuku ga kaeru" -- happiness will return -- and "Buji ni kaeru" -- coming home safely.

According to Toba Aquarium, the animal the man found was a Japanese tree frog. The creature changes its body color to match the color of its surroundings to protect itself from natural enemies. This white frog apparently does not have albinism, a genetic mutation which in frogs makes the body yellowish white and the eyes reddish.

(Japanese original by Naoto Yamanaka, Nabari Bureau)

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