Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Anyone Know Japanse Who Can Read This?

Stumbled across this and wondered what the writing said. I think it makes an awesome wererat with giant rat minion illustration.

EDIT: I realized I'd assumed this was Japanese, but since I can't read it, that's a bit hasty.


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9 comments:

gregarious monk said...

I can't read Japanese, but it *is* Japanese.

Google image search turns up the following (after a bit of poking around):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazu_Hyakki_Yagy%C5%8D

Apr 11, 2012, 6:51:00 AM
jgbrowning said...

Cool! I thought as such but wasn't sure.

Apr 11, 2012, 7:03:00 AM
Matthew James Stanham said...

Well, my wife is Japanese, but she cannot make it out; the difference a couple of hundred years makes for, I guess!

Apr 11, 2012, 7:43:00 AM
jgbrowning said...

Yeah, I was afraid of that.... Oh well, I guess it shall remain a mystery. Perhaps that's even better than knowing. :-)

Apr 11, 2012, 7:46:00 AM
Tedankhamen said...

It is an old Edo period monster print. My wife, who is Japanese, just read a book on it. Modern Japanese can't read them. She refused to try as it looks pretty small on my computer screen.

I can, however, make out a few characters. The second character on the left colum is 'nezumi' or 'rat'. 鼠　The next one is 'yo' or world.世　If you can find me a clearer copy we may be able to decipher it for you...

Apr 11, 2012, 10:23:00 AM
jgbrowning said...

Lets see, according to wiki "Raigō became a spirit-rat, and went into the world. (、也。?) Raigō Anjari was a priest of Mii-dera, who was snubbed by the emperor in favor of Enryaku-ji, and according to legend became a swarm of rats which laid waste to the rival temple."

I tried to find a larger image, but my Google-fu is weak, or else there simply isn't one as it is a rather specific image. Thanks so much for the offer, Tedankhamen!

Apr 11, 2012, 10:33:00 AM
Claytonian said...

can't read old cursive. If you got the original webpage it is from, I can read that Japanese.

Apr 11, 2012, 4:51:00 PM
Claytonian said...

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/鉄鼠
Dude never got his temple built, and fasted for 100 days, but died. Then appeared as a white haired monk apparition near a prince. Exorcism couldn't get rid of him, and the prince ended up dead.

He later appeared as a giant rat and then a swarm of rats that consumed a rival temple.

Apr 11, 2012, 5:10:00 PM
jgbrowning said...

Awesome! Thanks Claytonian.

Apr 11, 2012, 5:13:00 PM

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