Choju Giga

Choju Giga and the Poetry of Kyoto: The Play of Life Breathed in Ink

Kosanji Temple is located in Toganoo, a secluded area of ​​Kyoto. In the silence of this temple, there is a picture scroll painted in ink. It continues to touch our hearts even after 800 years.
This is the Choju Jinbutsu Giga (Caricature of the Choju) - commonly known as Choju Giga. Personified rabbits, frogs, and monkeys wrestle, splash around in water, and hold Buddhist ceremonies. The technique of depicting laughter, surprise, and even sadness with just the shades of ink and the flow of the brush is truly worthy of being called a "moving still life poem."

Animals on a stage of ink

The animals that appear in Volume 1 behave almost like humans: a rabbit chases a monkey, and a frog walks using a lotus leaf as an umbrella.
The figure is humorous yet somehow melancholic, as if it were a caricature of "life" itself.

The laughter of the frogs leaping on the water,
The sound of the Kyoto wind played by the ink droplets.
The leap of the rabbit is a question that transcends time.
"What is a human being?"

In Volume B, real and imaginary animals are arranged like an illustrated encyclopedia, Volume C depicts human games, and Volume D depicts people competing in a competition, brought to life in ink.
Each volume has a different brushstroke, as if it were painted by a different artist. In fact, it is said to be the work of Toba Sojo Kakuyu, but there is no certainty about this, and it is believed to be a collaboration between several artists.

Kyoto as a Stage Setting

Kosanji Temple, where this picture scroll is preserved, is an ancient temple that was rebuilt by the monk Myoe in 1206.
Located in the mountains of Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, this temple is also known as the oldest tea plantation in Japan and is a place where stillness and movement truly coexist.
Perhaps the background to the creation of Choju Jinbutsu Giga was the "emptiness" of the city of Kyoto.

If you climb the moss-covered stone steps,
The smell of ink mingles with the wind.
Listen carefully to the silence of the mountains,
I can hear the frogs in the picture scroll laughing.

Kyoto is a city where the past and present intersect. The Choju Giga is also a "voiceless voice" that speaks to the present about past pastimes.

Is Choju Giga the "oldest manga in Japan"?

Choju Giga is also known as "Japan's oldest manga" because some scenes feature panel layouts and movement lines that are similar to those of modern manga.
However, this is not simply a technical evaluation, but also a tribute to the "poetic power" of the work, which is able to depict the narrative and flow of emotions using only ink.

This picture scroll has no legends.
That is why it speaks directly to the viewer's heart.
Poetry without words.
The voice of life that resides within the ink.

Conclusion: Choju Giga is a mirror of ourselves

When we look at the Choju Giga paintings, we are not just watching animals playing.
What is reflected there is the image of people laughing, fighting, praying, and playing.
The ink lines depict a caricature of our own lives.

The ink speaks.
Deeper than words,
The picture scroll asks.
"What are you playing at?"

This picture scroll, which rests in a mountain temple in Kyoto, quietly but surely stirs our hearts.
It is both a letter from the past and a question for the future.