A Japanese Bestiary: Maison de la Culture du Japon’s new exhibition in Paris - Our pictures

Cranes, owls, monkeys, foxes or even Koi carps… lots of animals symbolize Japan and show the oh-so special ties between the Japanese people and the animal world for a very long time. And this is this very strong relationship the Maison de la Culture du Japon in Paris has decided to honor this Fall with a new exhibition.

Called “Un Bestiaire Japonais” or “A Japanese Bestiary”, this installation returns on the relationships between inhabitants of the city of Edo – that will become Tokyo in 1868 – and animals, as well as nature.

To better grasp this relationship and the different roles animals had, related to the lives of warring noble families, peasants and storekeepers, the Maison de la Culture du Japon in Paris will gather over a hundred ukiyo-e engravings, paintings and daily life items. Works all come from the Edo-Tokyo Museum, currently under renovations in Japan.

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At the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, visitors will admire a copy of a couple screens from 1634 showing a detailed panorama of Edo. On these impressive screens, there are 4,983 humans painted. But when watching closer, you will see monkey-baiters, stray dogs, working oxen, sacred horses…

Another rare piece exhibited: another screen representing a quail contest. At this time, the goal of these events was to make quails sing and name the one that sang the best.

The exhibition is divided into several parts, starting with domesticated animals like cats, dogs, goldfishes, or even rabbits. Then, there will be wild animals with a sketching showing a crane-hunting scene. The exhibition also shows a fascinating book listing all the animals then found in Edo like owl, Japanese river otters, foxes... A book making us think about the disappearance of all these species now in Tokyo.

Then, you will learn more about the urbanisation of Edo and the arrival of rare animals. Back in the days, inhabitants start enjoying new entertainments such as zoos. Therefore, more and more exotic animals are found and inspired artists.

Last but not least, the "Un bestiaire Japonais" exhibition shines a light on animals in decorative arts. The decorative patterns set on many daily life items show this very special relationship between Edo inhabitants and animals. Today, these traditional animal patterns made way to the “kawaii” aspect of pets, so dear to the Japanese.

A universe the Maison de la Culture du Japon in Paris invites you to discover for this new very wild exhibition. Meet from November 9, 2022, to January 21, 2023, to discover this “Japanese bestiary”.