From Calligraphy Leaves to Generative AI！

　
At the temple, there was a tree with calligraphy leaves (Tara you), and I used to enjoy writing on the back of the leaves. I remember being amazed as a child that you could write on leaves.
Now that I have become an older adult, it’s the era where I can write a blog using generative AI. I am amazed at the tremendous change in written media, but both are equally good.
It feels like we’ve come at lightning speed from writing characters on leaves and trees in the East, to writing on stone in the West, all the way to reaching AI generation.

Calligraphy Leaves (Tarayou)

　
Tara you is the most famous leaf for writing characters, but thick evergreen leaves such as biwa leaves and camellia leaves, with firm fronts and soft, white backs, can also be written on to some extent. Especially Tarayou is said to be the origin of postcard(leaf writing). Additionally, one can somewhat imagine leaves of words.
・They were used to write scriptures in India.
・They might have been used by Ki no Tsurayuki in poetry gatherings.
　　・They might have been used in information warfare during the Warring States period.
These leaves might have served as the equivalent of today’s smartphones for various purposes.
When I was a child, paper was either traditional Japanese paper or straw paper (mulberry paper), and it was considered somewhat valuable, so I must have played with calligraphy leaves.
We were likely the last generation to engage in calligraphy leaf play, a tradition that lasted for thousands of years.
　　

Blog and Generative AI

　While it’s possible to put old memories and recollections into words on a blog, I used to think it was challenging without photos or illustrations. However, with the recent advancements in generative AI, it has become an incredible era where AI can generate photos based on written descriptions. (Though it’s not always spot-on…) The images in my previous blog post, ‘Thoughts on Snow in Niigata,’ were all created by generative AI.
Also, starting from this year, I’ve been including English translations alongside my posts, and this too is thanks to AI. While I’m not proficient in English, I believe the translations are quite understandable. Although there are occasional odd translations, so checking is essential, the difference compared to translation software from a decade ago is like night and day. We’ve entered an era where individuals can have excellent AI secretaries, all starting from paper made of leaves.