The Significance of Crows in Japan: More Than Just Pests
Hello everyone and welcome to another of my Blog. In this blog I will tell you about crow 「カラス」in Japanese culture. If you ever come to Japan or lived in Japan, you will see a lot of this bird roaming around city. In my place lived, this bird once steals my delicious ramen and takes it fly for them to enjoy it. Yeah, I still remembered how funny when i almost fell when tried to catch the bird who stole my ramen. I will remember it forever.
The picture is AI generated. (I lost my crow picture)
Enough about my ramen. So, what do other people think about this bird? In Japanese culture crow are being seen as a divine messengers and symbol of filial piety and an intelligent pest. It’s also associated with the sun through the mythical three-legged Yatagarasu. This bird also often considered omens of death or misfortune. So, when you see one, just be careful.
Just kidding…. They may be considered omens of death or misfortune in Japanese culture, but this bird is smart. The scientists estimate the problem-solving and reasoning of a crow are on par with a 7-year-old human child. They are also the most highly adaptable animal in urban settings. If you ever see a video from a researcher about a crow that tries to drink water from a bottle that is half-filled, you will see that the crow will find a small rock and put it inside the bottle. So, the water level will be rising, and the crow can drink the water.
On the top, I talked about three-legged Yatagarasu. What is Yatagarasu? It was a mythical crow, in Japanese culture. Its job was guiding God in Shinto mythology and was known for the three-legged figure. The appearance is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or Devine Intervention in human affairs. So, what is the meaning of the three legs? According to kumano hongu taisha the three legs represent Heaven (like the evidence of the will of heaven before), earth (or the natural evironment) and man. It’s also can be representing the authority of the three Kumano Clans (Enomoto, Ui and Fujihaku Suzuki).
So, what are Kumano Clans? The Kumano clans are clans that predominated in the Kumano Region, and integral to the Shinto nature worship before the spread of Buddhism came. And the Kumano Clans are closely connected to the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine. The Kumano Clans are also deeply involved in the administration and religious activities. The Kumano clans not just an ordinary clan, it also become as a symbolism, and a representation of the three-legged crow deity (Yatagarasu).
Just for your information, in Japan there is a song about crow which called Nanatsu no ko (“seven children” or “seven baby crows”). The song is written in 1921 by Ujo Noguchi and composed by Nagayo Motoori. And in the same year, published in children’s magazine Kin no fune. In the song, crow is depicted as a loving parent, highlighting that crow also have similar feeling as Humans. The song played as the departure melody at isohara station in Kita Ibaraki. It’s also featured in the anime/manga detective Conan, as the ringtone/melody of the boss of the black organization.
In the urban present crow still being considered pest that tearing open garbage bags. But how we look at this animal is not based on other people. Because some people will consider this animal a pest that doesn’t bring any benefit to society. And some people will consider this animal a smart animal.