Elegance in Water: A Goldfish Journey and Japanese Culture
Elegance in Water: A Goldfish's Journey and Japanese Culture
Every time the tail fin sways, a little poem is born on the surface of the water.
Goldfish are not just ornamental fish.
Its appearance contains the gaze of people and cultural memories of over a thousand years.
Beauty born in China and nurtured in Japan
The end of the goldfish occurred in China about 2,000 years ago.
It all started with the accidental birth of red crucian carp on the banks of the Yangtze River.
People were attracted by its beauty and continued to breed it at palaces and temples, resulting in the development of a forked tail and
It will change into a colorful appearance .
From Muromachi to Edo: How goldfish became part of culture
Goldfish first came to Japan around 1502 during the Muromachi period.
Goldfish were first imported to Sakai, Osaka, and were initially a luxury item for aristocrats and wealthy merchants.
During the Edo period, aquaculture techniques spread and it became accessible to the common people.
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The people of Edo loved it as "beauty seen from above."
The goldfish swimming in the ceramic bowl look like a painting in the water.
It was also depicted in nishiki-e prints and was popular in the entertainment world as a symbol of "iki."
Japanese Goldfish: A Cultural Establishment
Over time, goldfish have come to be classified into varieties unique to Japan,
Goldfish villages have been developed in Yamatokoriyama, Nara, and Yatomi, Aichi.
Iki
Masu
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Goldfish originated in China.
However, it is the sensibility of the Japanese people that has nurtured this beauty as a culture.
The tiny lives we see in the water bring us a sense of the seasons and our hearts.
This may be the "spirit of harmony" that WABISUKE weaves.