Photo= The mutant, blue Japanese tree frog (Kyoto Aquarium, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto)

A blue tree frog has been discovered in Kyoto City, and is on display in Kyoto Aquarium, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto. Such a frog is rarely seen, and it has attracted attention from visitors, who ponder whether it is a messenger of good fortune.

This mutant Japanese tree frog is about two centimeters long. It was found in a house in Yamashina Ward. Kyoto Aquarium collected it at the end of August at the request of the residents, who feared that the frog's bright coloration would make it easy prey of enemies, such as birds, in the natural world. It has been on display since September 5 in the aquarium's Rivers of Kyoto Zone, which collects amphibians.

According to Kyoto Aquarium, the frog appears blue because its skin composition lacks the pigment for yellow. A university student visiting from Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, remarked, "I was shocked. It's really beautiful. I get the feeling something good is going to happen."