Turtle - Kame 亀

Tonight I have watched the film "Death Of A Tea Master" 1989, having the original title Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubou ibun. Honkakubou was the disciple of the legendary tea master Rikyu, and he tries to solve the mistery of the latter's death.

There are superb images of Japanese rock gardens in this film - where rocks stand for islands, mountains, turtles, and the sand represents the sea. Such rock gardens can be also miniaturized.

Turtle is considered a symbol of longevity around the world. In Indian mythology, Akupara is a turtle that carries the world on its back. 

In Japanese, "turtle" is kame 亀. We can almost see it depicted in its kanji. Turtle symbolizes longevity and good luck. It appears in the legend of Urashima Tarou.