# Japanese Fart Scrolls
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 18, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101 "2012-03-18T01:53:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/1 "2012-03-18T01:53:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Japanese fart scrolls prove that human art peaked centuries ago
>
> Approximately 200-400 years ago during Japan’s Edo period, an unknown artist created what is easily the most profound demonstration of human aesthetics ever committed to parchment. I am referring to He-Gassen a.k.a. 屁合戦 a.k.a. “the fart war.” In this centuries-old scroll, women and men blow each other off the page with typhoon-like flatulence. Toss this in the face of any philistine who claims that art history is boring.
Pictures - NOT SAFE FOR WORK:
[http://io9.com/5886529/japanese-fart-scrolls-prove-that-human-art-peaked-centuries-ago](http://io9.com/5886529/japanese-fart-scrolls-prove-that-human-art-peaked-centuries-ago)
---
### Author:  [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/2 "2012-03-18T02:01:51Z")
If those pictures are NSFW, your boss must be really uptight!
---
### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/3 "2012-03-18T02:18:59Z")
How do you say “I fart in your general direction!” in Japanese?
---
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/4 "2012-03-18T02:20:44Z")
> [@voltaire](#):
>
> If those pictures are NSFW, your boss must be really uptight!
Nothing to do with my boss or my work. Others may have uptight employers, so I wanted to give due warning.
---
### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/5 "2012-03-18T04:16:48Z")
> [@voltaire](#):
>
> If those pictures are NSFW, your boss must be really uptight!
I can see more than a few nutsacks in those images, so the caution is appropriate.
---
### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/6 "2012-03-18T08:12:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I am referring to He-Gassen
He-Gassen, She-Gassen, We-All-Gassen.
Clealy the inspiration for the somewhat famous [Chinese bull-fart sculpture](http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/amazing-bull-fart-sculpture-by-chen-wenling/).
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/7 "2012-03-18T14:52:45Z")
Dammit, now I can’t stop singing,
“It’s the Japanese fart scrolls,
Sneaking out with the poo . . . .”
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-pPvVVTC_5k/hqdefault.jpg ""The Japanese Sandman" (Nora Bayes, 1920)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pPvVVTC_5k)
---
### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/8 "2012-03-18T14:57:14Z")
I love the one where the dude built a fart shield, but still got hit.
---
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/9 "2012-03-18T15:04:12Z")
I like the one where they’re using fans to successfully defend themselves.
---
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/10 "2012-03-18T15:54:22Z")
I’ve seen reproductions of other Japanese scrolls depicting farting, but i don’t recal where or when. Suffice it to say that this is not a unique scroll.
And then there’s the scroll depicting a sumo match between a personified penis and a personified vagina. Japanese art has always had engagingly weird examples.
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/11 "2012-03-18T18:52:09Z")
That poor cat.
---
### Author:  [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/12 "2012-03-18T22:20:27Z")
Why are only some of them naked?
---
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/13 "2012-03-18T23:18:49Z")
> [@Imago](#):
>
> Why are only some of them naked?
You’d have to ask the original cartoonist, who I’m relatively certain is long dead.
---
### Author:  [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/14 "2012-03-19T03:17:40Z")
Farting. It’s so easy even a kappa can do it!
> [@Gig0buster](#):
>
> How do you say “I fart in your general direction!” in Japanese?
I’m coming up at a loss for a truly natural translation, but I think the following would get the point across: ‘Kimi no hou ni onara suru!’
---
### Author:  [@SticksAndString](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SticksAndString)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2012, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/15 "2012-03-19T10:41:55Z")
Gah. Y’all owe me a new netbook…I just spewed coffee on this one trying not to laugh. XD
---
### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/16 "2012-03-19T13:57:53Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#):
>
> That poor cat.
Oh, they give as good as they get.
---
### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/17 "2012-03-19T16:35:52Z")
The cat! 😃
---
### Author:  [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/18 "2012-03-19T19:15:12Z")
Haha! Le Petomaine wouldda blow them all away with his mighty wind. And your giant turtle Gamera. Haha!
Weird Mamma-jammas, that’s for sure.
---
### Author:  [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/19 "2012-03-20T02:57:36Z")
Wait, I’m confused. I don’t see a cat in any of those scrolls.
---
### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101/20 "2012-03-20T22:04:40Z")
Well, that is the _second_ strangest thing I’ve seen come out of Japan.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-fart-scrolls/616101.md?page=2)