It is endemic to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and is a common species above 1000 meters in grassland, shrubland and forest.

[1] Sometimes this species is called the lesser Japanese shrew mole and another species, Urotrichus talpoides, is called the "greater Japanese shrew mole".

[3] D. pilirostris is a mole resembling the Japanese shrew mole, with a head-body length of about 6½ cm covered in thick, 5 mm long, darkbrown fur with a strong greenish metallic lustre, and a tail of about 3½ cm, covered with dark hair of about 7 mm.

The first incisor in the upper jaw is low and broad, the broadest of all teeth in front of the true molars.

The teeth in the lower jaw compare to those in the upper jaw, but the second incisor has an additional conic cusp at its back, there is no third incisor and the canine is minute.