ashidaka-gumo

Heteropoda venatoria (Sparassidae)

This huntsman spider is the largest species of all hunting spiders in Japan. It gets to be about 10 centimeters including the legs.

This spider is common in Japanese houses that lay behind gaps in the wall and ceilings in the daytime, and are often left alone as it eats cockroaches and flies at night.

It is found on four main islands in Japan - Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa.
 

Actual size with American quarter