The swift spread of a tiny invasive insect that gorges on paper threatens to ravage Japan’s priceless cultural treasures, historic records and delicate scrolls, as calls grow for stronger measures to rein in the scourge.
The 1cm-long (0.3 inch) ghost silverfish, first identified in Sri Lanka in 1910, was discovered in Japan in 2022. The critter has since crawled into institutions in 19 prefectures after reportedly arriving in the East Asian nation in a consignment of documents, art or other paperwork.
While worms that eat paper are common in Japan, the fast-reproducing ghost silverfish is a new threat which needs to be tackled by raising awareness among archivists and curators to avoid a slow response to the menace, according to an expert.
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“Paper-eating moths are pests that have existed in Japan since ancient times,” said Atsushi Tsujikawa, chairman of the Japan Society of Archives Institutions. “I have seen them while handling old documents and books, and the facility where I work also takes measures to prevent damage from moths.”
He told This Week in Asia that insects were generally introduced from overseas “in travellers’ personal belongings or in containers, luggage or imported goods, so it’s possible that this calvum also arrived in this way”.
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Tsujikawa said a lack of information sharing among preservation facilities, curators and archivists could worsen the damage before the insects were noticed and addressed.