CHANGING AND UNCHANGING THINGS: Noguchi and Hasegawa in Postwar Japan

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Saburo Hasegawa
The Butterfly Dream—Chuang Tzu
1956
Ink on paper

Hasegawa Family Collection

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tzu, dreamed I was a butterfly flying happily here and there, enjoying life without knowing who I was. Suddenly I woke up and I was indeed Chuang Tzu. Did Chuang Tzu dream he was a butterfly, or did the butterfly dream he was Chuang Tzu? There must be some distinction between Chuang Tzu and the butterfly.This is a case of transformation.
(Trans. Gia-fu Feng and Jane English)