The Mandarin Duck is a species of waterfowl that is native to East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. It is a medium-sized bird that is well-known for its striking and colorful appearance, with the male having a bright, iridescent plumage of blue, green, purple, and orange, while the female has a more muted brownish-gray plumage.
The Mandarin Duck is sometimes associated with happiness and good fortune in Japanese culture, as its name "Yuan Yang" (鴛鴦) is a homophone for the phrase "perfect couple" in Japanese. It is also believed that seeing a pair of Mandarin Ducks together is a sign of love and loyalty, and that keeping a pair of these ducks can bring happiness and harmony to a household.
In Japanese mythology, the Mandarin Duck is also associated with romantic love and fidelity. Legend has it that these birds mate for life, and if one partner dies, the other will remain single for the rest of its life, mourning its lost love. For these reasons, the Mandarin Duck has become a popular symbol of love, happiness, and fidelity in Japanese culture.