stoat; ermine; short-tailed weasel
Refers to the animal Mustela erminea. In Japanese, the name literally means 'mountain weasel'. Often written in katakana as ヤマイタチ.
See also: オコジョ
The stoat's fur turns white in winter.
Have you ever seen a stoat in Hokkaido?
Katakana spelling is common for this animal name; usually written in kana.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; rarely used.
Full kanji spelling; very rare and may not be recognized by many readers.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') and イタチ (itachi, 'weasel'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely describes the animal's habitat.