The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library has preserved a piece of Japan’s whaling history by digitalizing two 200-year-old scrolls.
The 35 and 39-foot-long scrolls depict the entire whale hunting process during Japan's Edo period — from spotting pods to processing the meat for food.
“Whaling was certainly an important part of Japanese culture and so in telling the history of Japan during that period, this is one important facet,” UH Mānoa librarian Clem Guthro said.
Whaling has been a part of Japan's culture since at least the 12th century. The two scrolls were painted in 1819, according to the library's records.
Historians have described the scrolls as depicting whale hunting and cultural practices during the 1600s to early 1800s, prior to the adoption of modern industrial whaling methods.
“And it tells it in a very striking way. If you look at the scrolls, those images are really very vibrant. When you look at the quality of the colors, it's hard to believe that these are over 200 years old,” Guthro said.
Guthro said the scrolls were hand painted on rice paper, making them incredibly fragile. Previously, the scrolls were difficult to view in person and were rarely seen in their entirety.
“I don't know anybody who has a 39-foot table,” he said.
Now, anyone with internet access can see the whole story. Once the current translation work is completed, the public is expected to be able to read the story in English.
“That's one of the nice things about having it digitized, as you can actually see the whole scroll, you can see both scrolls and then you can zoom in on whatever part that you're interested in," Guthro said.
The pieces were gifted to UH in 2020 by Deborah Rudolph, a curator of rare books and collections.
According to Guthro, the scrolls are incredibly rare.
“They're very unique. No one has a copy and there's only one similar to this at the National Diet Library in Japan. As far as we know, there aren't any others,” he said.
The process was done at UH's recently renovated, state-of-the-art imaging lab. The university said the next project to be completed there is the digitalization of 400 volumes of Korean artifacts.
“We're able to make materials that don't ever leave the library, that are in special collections often behind locked doors, available,” Guthro said.
“We have some of the best Asian collections in North America and this helps us get the word out to the larger community about the wealth of materials that we have," he said.
To view the scrolls,click here.
