Memories dyed in the color of the Japanese crested ibis: The philosophy of ibis and regeneration
Memories dyed in the color of the Japanese crested ibis: The philosophy of ibis and rebirth
A pale pink color sways on the surface of the water in the rice fields.
It's not a sunset or a flower petal - it's a crested ibis.
This bird, which once flew over the mountains of rural Japan, has returned to the skies from the brink of extinction.
Its flapping wings evoke memories of lost landscapes and gently offer hope for the future.
The life that dwells in the pheasant's feathers
The Japanese crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) is a bird belonging to the family Thresheridae in the order Pelecaniformes, and is a symbolic bird whose scientific name itself includes the word "Japan."
Its feathers are a pale vermilion-pink color, which is the origin of the traditional color "tokiiro" (toki color).
This color has a softness similar to that of spring mist, and since ancient times has symbolized transience, kindness, and distant memories in the world of waka poetry and dyeing and weaving.
Features:
• Total length: approx. 75cm, wingspan: approx. 140cm
• Plumage: White to pale pink (head turns black during breeding season)
• Diet: They feed on loaches, frogs, insects, etc. in rice paddies and wetlands. • Call: A high-pitched, slightly nasal "quack" sound.
Its appearance is like a poem dancing on the water's edge, and it has accompanied people's memories as the seasons change.
Spring rice planting, summer water reflections, autumn rice ears, winter silence - the Japanese crested ibis exists as a "living seasonal word" that blends into the rural landscape.
From forgotten everyday life to a symbol of rebirth
In the past, the Japanese crested ibis was treated as a "pest bird."
They trample on rice, eat fish, and are noisy - for these reasons they have been targeted for overhunting and extermination.
Furthermore, during the period of rapid economic growth, the use of pesticides and development of wetlands increased, and the crested ibis' habitat was rapidly lost.
• 1981: The last wild specimen was spotted on Sado Island, and conservation efforts began in earnest. • 2003: The last Japanese crested ibis, Kin, died, and Japanese crested ibises became extinct. • 1999: Artificial breeding began with a pair, Youyou and Youyou, donated by China, and they are being released back into the wild.
Current situation:
• Designated a Special Natural Monument and endangered species of Category IA. • The birds are released into the wild every year in Sado City, and currently there are over 600 birds living there. • "Agriculture in harmony with the crested ibis," which reduces the use of pesticides, is also becoming more widespread.
The crested ibis has now become a symbol of regeneration, prompting us to reexamine the relationship between nature and humans.
This rebirth is no longer simply a biological resurrection, but has come to be described as a "rebirth of cultural memory."
The Philosophy of the Color Toki-iro
"Toki-iro" is not just a color name.
It is the color of the heart longing for what has been lost, a gradation of emotions reaching out for distant memories.
This color found in the feathers of the crested ibis resonates deeply with the "philosophy of gift-giving" that WABISUKE holds dear.
The gift is:
• The act of gently handing over not just visible material, but memories, emotions, scenery, and time. • The lingering impression of the pheasant's color becomes a memorable gift. • The choice of regeneration, not extinction. • Life resides at the intersection of nature and culture.
When people see this color, they remember something.
It could be the scenery of rice fields you saw as a child, or the sunset seen through the shoji screens of your grandparents' house.
The Japanese crested ibis is also a being that evokes these "memories of what does not exist."
A presence that resonates with the WABISUKE philosophy
The story that WABISUKE tells is not just a product introduction.
It is a poetic endeavor that passes on culture, revives memories, and provides emotional space.
Toki resonates deeply with that philosophy.
WABISUKE's blog conveys a deep emotional space to readers by depicting the Japanese crested ibis as a "rebirth of memories," "the philosophy of color," and "the lingering feeling of a gift."
It is a story of mourning what has been lost, but also of hope, of giving again.
The sky where the ibis soars lies between the past and the future.
The flapping of its wings is quiet, powerful, and beautiful.
In this sight, we find the intersection of nature and culture, and are reminded of the true essence of gift-giving.