the rat in japanese art

now, seriously, there are wooden rats, imported from japan, offered on ebay as artefacts of traditional woodwork.

how do the japanese see the rat? do they feed them (in rural areas)? probably there are rats in the costal areas?

this is about brown rats (not domestic rats). how common is it to have domestic rats in japan? not common at all?

any information about rats in japan will do.
"i do not like rats" "there are no rats in japan" -> of no use to me?

Recentry we don't see rats in our house. May be in rural region they still see them.
Sometimes rats are used as a motif of sculpture same as rabbit, dog, and so on.
Some poeple think it's a kind of cute, but some hate them.

Kerog said:

Recentry we don't see rats in our house. May be in rural region they still see them.
Sometimes rats are used as a motif of sculpture same as rabbit, dog, and so on.
Some poeple think it's a kind of cute, but some hate them.

Click to expand...

actually rats do not get much sympathy. personally, i do not dislike dogs but would not like to have one at home. recently i have seen a woman caring about the byproduct, and this was a very good example, people should practice this when walking with their dog. especially on grass area.

it occurs that dogs like me, and it both wonders and honors me, i touch their head, but i would not lick their tongue, even if the dog likes it. to do so is a serious health risk. dogs are so neat and useful, to guard premises and be around at airports.

my problem is most likely i also like cats, and they catch rats. sometimes they agree with pet rats. how about pet rats in japan, is it common?

Pet rats are very common in Japan. "Hamstar" is very very popular. Children see animation featuring hamstar named "HAMU-TARO".
Cute... I like them.

In Edo, there were many pet shops(dogs, cats, birds and goldfish).
In about 1770, keeping a white mouse called "Hatsuka Nezumi" was a craze in Edo.
The handbook of keeping a mouse, "Chingan sodate gusa" was published in 1787.
In it, we can find the mutation and the hybridization of the mice.


the signboard of the pet shop : "white mice, etc."
The son asked his father to buy a white mouse. But the father said to him, "Come on, let's go."
[a picture book 1783]

This mouse was the most popular kind of mouse called "Aka me no shiro"(the white with red eyes) at that time.


"Netsuke"(Edo era)


a wedding of mice [a picture book 1835]
:cracker:

Ukiyoe : Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797~1861)

4,5 years ago, keeping a small hamster was a boom in Japan.


Mr. Rat Man "bi-bi-bi no Nezumi otoko"(right) : the famous "Yokai" character created by Shigeru Mizuki