What comes to your mind when you think of Japan? Anime? Ramen and mochi? That cute waving cat called a maneki-neko? You might consider adding mermaids to your list. The Japanese have an unusual tie to these magical creatures.
Scary mermaids
Mermaids, or ningyo in Japanese, are actually somewhat of a universal concept. Half-human, half-fish creatures appear in mythology in cultures around the world! But Japanese legends depict mermaids a bit differently than Disney does. They usually have a mouth full of pointy teeth, and sometimes they have horns!
Something weird washes up
In Japan’s Ryuguji temple, located in the city of Fukuoka, 800-year-old bones are on display that supposedly belong to a mermaid! Locals claim that on April 14, 1222, a dead mermaid washed ashore in Hakata Bay on the Japanese island of Kyushu. After a shaman (a type of Japanese medium) declared the mermaid corpse was a good omen, its bones were placed in water in attempt to preserve them. Don’t try that at home - water doesn’t preserve anything very well!
Making a mermaid move
About 550 years after the bones were discovered, the bones were taken out of the water and transferred to a drier resting place. No one knows why they were moved, but it was evidently a good deal for temple visitors. They were allowed to bathe in the water that the mermaid bones had been soaked in! They believed this bone water bath would protect them from epidemics. The water is long gone now, but six of the mermaid bones remain at Ryuguji temple today. They’re so fragile that they can only be viewed by appointment!
The mermaid mania continues
Japan is also home to several shrines dedicated to mermaids. Even stranger than the mermaid bones, there’s a temple located in Tenshou-Kyousha that houses a purported mermaid mummy. It’s said to be over 1,400 years old - that’s twice as old as the bones!
Unmasking mermaid sightings
Over the centuries, many Japanese fisherman and seamen have reported seeing mermaids swimming in Japan’s warm coastal waters. Many people think these “mermaids” are actually dugongs, large sea mammals that resemble manatees! While they’re not exactly mermaids, dugongs are definitely interesting. They can hold their breath underwater for up to six minutes!
Whose bones?
Experts have several theories that might explain where the Ryuguji temple mermaid bones came from. If they weren’t from a real mermaid, they might have belonged to a finless porpoise! Since it lacks a dorsal fin, a finless porpoise body might’ve looked mythical to locals in 1222. Or maybe the bones are from an animal like a cow, and they were simply rebranded as mermaid bones to boost tourism!
Japan might not be famous for its mermaids, but there’s definitely more than one mermaid mystery hiding there. Where do you think the Ryuguji temple mermaid bones came from? Click the blue button below to vote! 👓