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Butterfly (Cho)

Butterflies, of which there are many species in the world, have a captivating beauty that has given rise to many beliefs and folktales and has made them the subject of many decorated objects and works of art

Cho (butterfly) is a general term for insects that belong to the Lepidoptera family of swallowtail butterflies. In Japanese they are also called chorui, kocho, chocho, and in classical Japanese, kawabirako. It is said that about 17,600 species of butterflies inhabit the world. In Japan, there are about 250 species in 9 families. These include Japan's national butterfly the great purple emperor (Sasakia charonda), the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), the common grass yellow butterfly (Eurema hecabe), the Asian swallowtail butterfly (Papilio xuthus), and the Chinese peacock swallowtail butterfly (Papilio dehaanii).

       The butterfly's body is generally elongated, and the two pairs of lobe-shaped wings on the chest are covered with scales and scale hair that give the wings their color. The head has a pair of club-shaped antennae, a pair of compound eyes and two ocelli (simple eyes), and a coiled proboscis for sucking honey and sap. Many butterflies are active in the daytime and hold their wings upright on their backs when they alight. The larvae—called caterpillars (imomushi), green caterpillars (aomushi), or hairy caterpillars (kemushi)—eat vegetation, and then metamorphose into pupae and become adults.

       Butterflies are mentioned in the Chinese poetry of Kaifuso (Fond Recollections of Poetry), a compilation of Chinese poetry written by Japanese poets from the eighth century. However, they are not mentioned in Japanese works such as the Man'yoshu (Collection of Myriad Leaves, after 759), Kokin waka shu (Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times, ca. 905), or Shin kokin waka shu (New Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times, 1205). Butterflies also seldom appear in medieval picture scrolls. The background for this is that butterflies were thought to be human souls and were considered ominous; even the word for butterfly was taboo. There was a time when beautiful women were likened to butterflies as a metaphor for their beauty but also as a metaphor for their being an omen of ruin. In Zhuangzi (before 221 BC), chapter 2, the Chinese Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi tells the story of dreaming that he was a butterfly. And in many places in Japan, people believed that the souls of the dead transmigrated to other creatures, including butterflies. Moreover, during Obon (the Buddhist custom of honoring the spirits of one's ancestors), the deceased, according to folk belief, return to this world on the backs of black butterflies. There is also the folk belief that if you encounter a swarm of white butterflies on the road late at night, you will get sick and die.

       In the realm of art, butterflies have been the subject of designs and decorations since ancient times, such as the ornamental hairpin featuring a lapis lazuli butterfly mentioned in Konjaku monogatari shu (Anthology of Tales from the Past, late Heian period). In addition, butterflies are a popular theme in daily life, such as the peonies and butterflies card in Japanese playing cards (hanafuda) and the paper butterflies displayed at weddings.

       Butterflies are also found in family crests, such as the two-facing-butterflies crest, the swallowtail-butterfly crests of several Taira families, the Genji butterfly crest, and the butterfly-knot crest.

       Capturing and collecting butterflies is a familiar and popular pastime, but some species—such as various birdwing butterflies belonging to the Ornithoptera, Trogonoptera, or Troides genus—are endangered by this activity. 

Related People, Things and Events

Books

図譜、図説、図鑑類の蝶

史曞・叀兞にみえる蝶

Collections of butterfly-themed designs

Related Works

Butterfly drawings in paintings (Japan)

Butterfly drawings on craft works (Japan, dyed fabrics)

Butterfly drawings on craft works (Japan, lacquer works)

Butterfly drawings on craft works (Japan, metal works)

Butterfly drawings on craft works (Japan, ceramics)

Butterfly drawings in paintings and on craft works (Overseas)

Videos

Past Exhibitions

TitleshusaiPlaceopenclose
飯田垂矎術博物通2010/7/32010/9/5
高束垂矎術通2012/6/232012/9/2
カメむ矎術通2014/12/22015/2/1
カメむ矎術通2015/12/12016/1/31
カメむ矎術通2017/8/12017/9/22
カメむ矎術通2018/11/272019/1/27
カメむ矎術通2019/12/32020/3/1

Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • Established in 1877, the National Museum of Nature and Science (Kahaku) is one of the oldest museums in Japan. It is also the only national museum in the country that offers a comprehensive exhibition of natural history and the history of science and technology. It collects and preserves a variety of collections, such as natural history specimens, historical objects, and scientific and technical documents, and so on.

  • 幎䞭昆虫を倧枩宀で芳察するこずができる昆虫園。展瀺斜蚭の䞭をさたざたな皮類の蝶が飛び亀う。

  • 園内には、䞀幎䞭さたざたな蝶が芋られる倧枩宀をはじめ、蝶の飌育をする「チョりの飌育宀」、草花を怍えお野生の蝶を呌び寄せる「バタフラむガヌデン」がある。

  • 通内の「チョりの園」で、沖瞄など南囜のチョりを玄10皮類、およそ1000匹飌育。

  • 䞀幎を通じお、日本の囜蝶・オオムラサキの生態を芳察できる。本通・森林科孊通・生態芳察斜蚭の3぀の斜蚭から成り、斜蚭の呚囲に玄6haの自然公園が広がる。 芳察䌚や工䜜教宀などのむベントも倚数開催。

  • 珟存する日本最叀の昆虫専門博物通。ギフチョりの発芋で知られる昆虫孊者・名和靖によっお蚭立された名和昆虫研究所の付属斜蚭ずしお開通。玄1侇2千皮、30䞇匹の暙本を収蔵し、䞖界の蝶の暙本やギフチョりを倚角的に解説した展瀺を芋るこずができる。

  • 攟蝶スタむルの斜蚭で、箕面呚蟺に生息しおいる皮から亜熱垯の皮たでさたざたな皮類の蝶を飌育する。

  • 広さ600㎡の関西最倧玚のガラス枩宀で、玄14çš®1000匹の蝶を䞀幎䞭芳察できる。

  • 通内には䞀幎を通じお沖瞄八重山地方の蝶が舞う攟蝶枩宀がある。1000点を超える昆虫暙本や化石暙本も展瀺。

  • 園内には、䞀幎を通しお熱垯怍物が咲く「フラワヌドヌム」があり、日本最倧の蝶・オオゎマダラをはじめ、アサギマダラやツマムラサキマダラなど玄500匹の蝶を飌育。

  • 囜立科孊博物通附属の自然教育園で開園以来蚘録されたこずのある生物の皮名2865皮、動怍物や颚景の写真玄1900点を怜玢するこずができる。

  • 日本チョり類保党協䌚が運営。本州・四囜・九州でよく芋られる蝶36皮類を玹介する。

  • 岐阜聖埳孊園倧孊教育孊郚地孊・川䞊研究宀が運営。日本に生息する昆虫の生態写真のデヌタベヌスを公開。

References

  1. 「チョり」の項
  2. 「チョり」の項
  3. 日立デゞタル平凡瀟,平凡瀟
  4. 「蝶」のé