Heron (Sagi)
A white-feathered bird that lives all over the world, the heron is noted for its cleanliness and is a popular subject of bird and flower paintings
Sagi (heron) is a general term for birds in the Ardeidae family of the order Pelecaniformes. About 72 species are distributed around the world, including 19 species found in Japan, including the gray heron, night heron, little egret, green-backed heron, eastern reef heron, and least bittern. The great egret, intermediate egret, little egret, and cattle egret have white wings and are called the white egrets.
       The heron's beak, neck, and legs are long and it flies with its head and neck in the shape of the letter Z. Herons prey on fish, crabs, shellfish, frogs, and insects in rivers, in lakes, and on beaches. They generally nest in tall trees and form colonies, but some live in grasslands and forests.
       The heron appears in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters, ca. 711) as the hahakimochi, which seems to stand for purification. In her Pillow Book, Sei Shonagon said that the heron is ugly because of its eyes.
       In the thirteenth century during the Kamakura period, the Azuma kagami (Mirror of the East) likened a mysterious phenomenon to a heron: "There appeared a bright object resembling a white heron that then turned into what seemed like red fire whose flying traces appeared like a white ribbon dance."
       The Wakan sansai zue (Illustrated Sino-Japanese Encyclopedia, 1712), presents the Aosaginohi folktale, in which the body of a blue heron glows a light bluish white. This encyclopedia entry shows that this folktale was well known during the Edo period. The blue heron's light is also called the Goinohi (goi fire) or Goinohikari (goi light). Goi is the name of the night heron, derived from the official court rank translated as "the fifth rank." The Heike monogatari (Tale of the Heike), tells the story that a heron was about to take off from Shinsen Garden, but returned in response to a call from an official conveying the orders of the emperor, and that for this behavior, it was awarded the fifth rank. Thereafter, people called the night heron "the fifth rank" (goi).
       A similar story is told in a Noh dance. In "Sagi midare" (The Heron's Wild Dance), a newly released heron engages in a light, joyous dance. The heron, featured in the main role, is played by either a young boy or an old man over 60 or 70. The reason for this custom seems to be to show respect for the pure white heron's cleanliness. Several alternative names for the heronâsekkaku (snow guest), hakucho (white bird), and setsuro (snowy heron)âare related to its white color.
       The heron is also a popular subject in Japan for flower and bird paintings, and it is also a symbol of descendants' affluence and prosperity. This is perhaps due to the impression the heron gives of a noble figure standing in a muddy swamp.
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Japanese heron (a member of the pelican family)
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