Butterflies in Japan

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

• Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)
• Common Yeoman (Cirrochroa tyche)
• Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
• Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Dingy Bush-brown (Mycalesis perseus)
• Honshu White Admiral (Limenitis glorifica)
• Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Peacock (Aglais io)
• Small Leopard (Phalanta alcippe)
• Swinhoe’s Chocolate Tiger (Parantica swinhoei)
• Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta)
•  Boloria iphigenia
•  Erebia niphonica
•  Fabriciana nerippe
•  Hestina japonica
•  Kirinia fentoni
•  Lethe marginalis
•  Lethe sicelis
•  Melanargia epimede
•  Melitaea protomedia
•  Melitaea scotosia
•  Neope goschkevitschii
•  Neptis alwina
•  Polyura narcaea
•  Ypthima masakii
•  Ypthima riukiuana
•  Ypthima yayeyamana
•  Zophoessa callipteris
• Argynnis laodice japonica 
• Boloria thore jezoensis
• Fabriciana adippe pallescens
• Speyeria aglaja basalis
• Sasakia charonda charonda

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

• Dark Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)
• Dark Himalayan Oakblue (Arhopala rama)
• Forest Quaker (Pithecops corvus)
• Gram Blue (Euchrysops cnejus)
• Green Flash (Artipe eryx)
• Japanese Flash (Rapala arata)
• Japanese Oakblue (Arhopala japonica)
• Jeweled Grass-blue (Freyeria putli)
• Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
• Plains Cupid (Luthrodes pandava)
• Plumbago Blue (Leptotes plinius)
• Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora)
• Celastrina lavendularis himilcon
• Celastrina ogasawaraensis
• Celastrina sugitanii
• Coreana raphaelis
• Famegana alsulus
• Favonius cognatus
• Favonius jezoensis
• Favonius orientalis
• Favonius yuasai
• Fixsenia iyonis
• Fixsenia mera
• Fixsenia w-album
• Luthrodes mindora
• Plebejus subsolanus
• Shijimiaeoides divina
• Ussuriana stygiana
• Wagimo signatus
• Zizula hylax

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

• Gray-veined White (Pieris melete)
• Orange Migrant (Catopsilia scylla)
• Striped Albatross (Appias libythea)
• Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene)
• Eurema mandarina
• Pieris tomariana
• Aporia crataegi adherbal

Swallowtail (Papilionidae) 

• Alpine Black Swallowtail (Papilio maackii)
• Asian Swallowtail (Papilio xuthus)
• Common Mormon (Papilio polytes)
• Common Raven (Papilio castor)
• Dragon Swallowtail (Sericinus montela)
• Green-spotted Triangle (Graphium agamemnon)
• Japanese Luehdorfia (Luehdorfia japonica)
• Okinawa Peacock (Papilio okinawensis)
• Scarlet Mormon (Papilio rumanzovius)
• Graphium mullah
• Graphium doson albidum
• Parnassius eversmanni daisetsuzanus

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

• Colon Swift (Caltoris cahira)
• Grass Demon (Udaspes folus)
• Indian Palm Bob (Suastus gremius)
• Northern Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus silvicola)
• Rice Swift (Borbo cinnara)
• Rounded Palm-redeye (Erionota torus)
• Badamia exclamationis
• Leptalina unicolor)
• Ochlodes ochracea
• Parnara ogasawarensis
• Pelopidas jansonis
• Thoressa varia
• Thymelicus leonina

Some of the best places to see butterflies in Japan include Ryugujo Butterfly Garden, Ranzan Butterfly Park, and Kamikochi National Park.