Stop by for a special viewing of the original scroll of "Mushi no Utaawase Emaki" 虫歌合絵巻. Scrolls like this are typically not exhibited in their entirety to protect their delicate materials, making this a rare opportunity to experience a treasured gem from the Asia Library’s special collections.

"Mushi no Utaawase Emaki" is a 56-foot-long Japanese picture scroll from the Edo period, in the 1800's, featuring 15 panels with text and watercolor paintings. It tells the story of a poetry contest in which fifteen pairs of insects compete by composing waka poems, all judged by a frog. Each section contains two poems by different insects, followed by the frog’s critique, and is accompanied by corresponding artwork. The scroll’s exact creator and author are unknown, though possible candidates include Hosokawa Yūsai or Kinoshita Katsutoshi. Traditionally, viewers enjoy the scroll one section at a time.

View a moving image of the scroll (https://myumi.ch/e32qQ).

Browse a collection of images from the scroll (https://myumi.ch/JPJGr).

Join us (on the 4th floor of Hatcher) for Third Thursdays at the Library, a themed monthly open house where we share materials from our collections. While you’re here, pick up a passport and collect a stamp from each of the four Third Thursday Open Houses — Asia Library, Clark Library, International Studies, and Special Collections Research Center — to win a prize!