繭
cocoon
Kanji 1223
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
The Japanese associate 繭 with silkworms, even though other animals make cocoons. Find out how silkworms develop, producing a mile-long silky thread, and how people turn that filament into usable silk. See why the Japanese have been passionate about silk for millennia, and learn how that enthusiasm ties in with religion, architecture, literature, video games, and cosmetics.
Revision history:
July 5, 2024: p. 7: Clarified how the slanted roof of a 合掌造り house related to sericulture.
Feb. 9, 2024: p. 1: Revised the last paragraph of the main text, as it didn't sound right.
June 30, 2021: p. 7: A reference to essay 1656 on 稲 had the wrong page number. I now mention no page number because the sign and the information about Inari are on different pages (and can easily be found!).
May 7, 2021: Originally published.
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