Short Abstract

Imports of large mammals such as elephants or pantherinae attracted considerable attention in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. Their mere sight was believed to cure infectious diseases. Using kawaraban and colour woodcuts as a starting point, my paper explores some backgrounds of this view.

Long Abstract

In the 18th and 19th centuries, foreign animals increasingly reached Japan through trade relations with China and the Netherlands. Rare mammals in particular attracted great attention. Species such as dromedaries, elephants or tigers were presented as “show objects” (misemono) and fixed in art and literature. In popular belief, they were perceived as divine beings, and their mere sight was accredited with healing and protective effects against feared infectious diseases such as measles and smallpox.

This lecture aims to shed light on some contexts of this view. My starting point are popular broadsheets (kawaraban) and colour woodcuts (nishiki-e) that were released on the occasion of the arrival of non-indigenous species in Japan and also sold at animal shows: In 1824, Utagawa Kuniyasu (1794–1832) and Santō Kyōzan (1769–1858) created a print of dromedaries. In the years 1860 and 1863, Utagawa Yoshitoyo (1830–66) and Kanagaki Robun (1829–94) provided images and texts for broadsheets dealing with a leopard (presented as a tiger) and an elephant. In addition to knowledge about the rare beings, these sources contain information about their medical benefits.

The analysis will focus on three aspects: Firstly, the paper will outline the view of the aforementioned animals in Japanese culture before the Edo period, focusing on Buddhism, as well as on images and objects from China and Korea. Secondly, I will delineate their relevance as ingredients in Chinese medicine as practised in Japan. Thirdly, the role of images in the treatment of measles and smallpox will be looked at. In this regard, amongst others, strong heroic figures such as Minamoto no Tametomo and mythological creatures like Chinese lions (shishi) were significant motifs. As I will show, rare animals were associated with similar characteristics.

The sources examined in this paper indicate that in contrast to Chinese medicine, in which parts of the aforementioned animals functioned as medical substances, popular conceptions in 19th-century Japan primarily focused on the effects of their sight. Using images of imported species as remedies and prevention of diseases testifies to the creative approach and imagination of the population in dealing with plagues at that time.