On the extinction of the Japanese wolf

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Abstract

Although the Japanese wolf officially became extinct in 1905, this position has been challenged by many local sightings across the country. The present paper, presenting data from the Kii Peninsula, analyzes the wolf controversy as a form of environmental symbolism. Wolf folklore is presented to show how, for generations of Japanese upland dwellers, the moral character of the wolf was environmentally predicated. Similarly, modern and contemporary local claims about the presence of the officially absent wolves can be understood as metonymical references to the "yama" (mountain forests) and to the historical changes that have taken place in the upland environment in modern times.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)129-159
JournalAsian Folklore Studies
Volume56
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 02 Jan 1997

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