In areas of northern Japan, the west coast, and the island of Sado, where snowfall is heavy, the Japanese hare loses its coloration in the autumn, remaining white until the spring, when the reddish-brown fur returns.

Due to human encroachment, the Japanese hare has been able to adapt to and thrive in and around urban environments, so much so that it has become a nuisance in some places.

It is a solitary animal except during mating season, when males and females gather for breeding.

The Japanese hare population seems to be stable, though the quality or/and size of their habitat is decreasing.

They are threatened by the creation of urban and industrial areas, water management systems, such as dams, hunting, trapping and invasive and non-native diseases and species.

The mythic Hare of Inaba has a place in the mythology of Japan as an essential part of the legend of the Shinto god Ōkuninushi.