In 2009, 'clouds of dead tadpoles' dropped over several days on cities in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture, as reported by local news. This unusual animal rain event was attributed to waterspouts or strong winds sweeping up tadpoles from ponds or rivers. The event was documented in Japanese media and added to the country's rich history of strange weather phenomena.

The Ishikawa tadpole rain was noted in contemporary Japanese poetry, where the motif of falling tadpoles became a symbol of nature's unsettling and life-giving forces. The event resonated with the tradition of haiku and tanka, where seasonal and weather phenomena are often central, inviting poets to reflect on the cycle of life and death.