Edo period painter Ito Jakuchu has created a work called “Chihenguntyu-zu”
depicting plants and insects. There, looks of insects that are invisible to the naked
eye are depicted, and there is a reality as if a moment had been cut out. In addition to
Jakuchu, many Japanese artists have created works based on insects. Japanese
farmers have also built tombs for insects killed for agriculture. But, after the Meiji
Restoration, when we began to interact with Western countries, Japanese people
began to divide insects into vermin and beneficial insects and artificially manage
them. As a result, despite the resistance at the time, the insects gradually turned
into abominable beings. Today, people around the world are absorbed in
sustainability. However, we need to rethink our traditional culture and think
about what sustainability is. Thoughts derived from traditions different from those
of Western countries must bring diversity to the world.
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