Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans (Chōjū-giga)
鳥獣人物戯画
National TreasureHandscrolls (set of four) — Heian period
National Treasure
Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans (Chōjū-giga)
鳥獣人物戯画
- Type
- Handscrolls (set of four)
- Period and date
- Heian period, 12th–13th century
- Artist
- Toba Sōjō Kakuyū
- Material
- Ink on paper
- Collection:
- Kōzan-ji
03 — Overview
Four ink-on-paper handscrolls belonging to Kōzan-ji, Kyoto, depicting animals and people in playful caricature. The scrolls seem to have been drawn separately by several hands in the 12th–13th centuries; the traditional attribution to the monk Toba Sōjō is undocumented. Often called Japan's oldest manga.
04 — Object data
- Designation
- National TreasureSource ↗
- Type
- Handscrolls (set of four)
- Category
- Painting
- Artist
- Toba Sōjō Kakuyū (traditional attribution, undocumented)
- Period
- Heian period
- Date
- 12th–13th century
- Material
- Ink on paper
- Collection
- Kōzan-ji ↗
10 — Gallery
13 — Related objects
Wind God and Thunder God Screens
風神雷神図屏風
Pair of two-panel folding screens — Edo· National Treasure
Irises Screens
燕子花図屏風
Pair of six-panel folding screens — Edo· National Treasure
Red and White Plum Blossoms
紅白梅図屏風
Pair of two-panel folding screens — Edo· National Treasure
Pine Trees Screens
松林図屏風
Pair of six-panel folding screens — Momoyama· National Treasure
14 — Sources & references
- [1]鳥獣人物戯画
文化庁 国指定文化財等データベース · Government · Supports: Designation, Name
- [2]Kōzan-ji
高山寺 · Museum · Supports: Collection, Description
- [3]Wikidata Q736832
Wikidata · Database · Supports: Name, Date, Maker, Collection · Accessed 2026-09-25
- [4]鳥獣人物戯画
Wikipedia（日本語版） · Encyclopedia · Supports: Description · Accessed 2026-09-25
- [5]Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga
Wikipedia (English) · Encyclopedia · Supports: Description · Accessed 2026-09-25
- [6]File:Chouju 1st scroll-01.jpg
Wikimedia Commons · Image host
- [7]File:Chojyugiga2nd.jpg
Wikimedia Commons · Image host
- [8]File:Chouju 1st scroll-02-rabbit&fox&target.jpg
Wikimedia Commons · Image host
- [9]File:Chouju lilypad.jpg
Wikimedia Commons · Image host
15 — Image credits
Chouju 1st scroll-01
- Creator / Photographer
- Toba Sōjō?
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons — File:Chouju 1st scroll-01.jpg ↗
- Credit
- 東京国立博物館所蔵品の写真版スキャン画像
- Licence
- Public domain
Chojyugiga2nd
- Creator / Photographer
- Anonymous, 12th century
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons — File:Chojyugiga2nd.jpg ↗
- Credit
- OLD REPLICA published at 1924 by YAMATOE DOKOKAI, Tokyo, japan
- Licence
- Public domain
Chouju 1st scroll-02-rabbit&fox&target
- Creator / Photographer
- Kiyoweap
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons — File:Chouju 1st scroll-02-rabbit&fox&target.jpg ↗
- Credit
- Own work
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 ↗
Chouju lilypad
- Creator / Photographer
- Unknown authorUnknown author
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons — File:Chouju lilypad.jpg ↗
- Credit
- tnm.go.jp Tokyo National Museum.
- Licence
- Public domain