![]() In the process, the woodlands eventually were razed and replanted, fundamentally altering the ecological landscape. The beast disappeared as the nation marched toward modernization and war. The common thread tying all this together may be the way the wolf symbolizes what Japan lost as it embraced industrialization in the late 19 th century. As I mention in my series, there are still many shrines in Japan that deify the animal and offer parishioners paper talismans that invoke the wolf to ward off evil and repel misfortunes including burglary and fire. The Japanese wolf has historically been portrayed favorably as a divine messenger and protector of farmland from wildlife crop-raiders. Finally, the rich trove of wolf mythology and folklore has been a source of interest for many researchers and artists. Others are intrigued by the zoology and other science. ![]() Some people, (including myself initially) are drawn to accounts of modern-day sightings and the possibility that the supposedly extinct animal may still be out there in the wilderness. To start, why did you, or your interview subjects, feel that exploring Japans’ extinct wolves is topical or relevant to the larger societal and political questions facing contemporary Japan?Īlex Martin: There are many dimensions to the story about the Japanese wolf. A woodblock print of a pair of wolves is displayed at Mitsumine Shrine, arguably the mecca of Japan’s wolf worship.| OSCAR BOYD / JAPAN TIMESĪsia Art Tours: A beautiful undertone of your Japan Times feature on wolves in Japan is how human beings have lost something by being so removed from nature – that wolves are not just an ‘animal’ but, for many, part of a larger vision of what community should be.
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