＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
Currently, the world is under a serious threat from the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). However, Japan has experienced numerous epidemics throughout history.
At such times, people prayed to gods and Buddhas and held festivals to ward off the epidemic. The Gion Festival is one such example.
By the way, a yokai called “Amabie” has been making the news recently. This time, I would like to introduce this “Amabie.” Please note that it is not a “sweet shrimp” (amabie).
1. “Amabie”
(1) What is “Amabie”?
“Amabie” is a half-man, half-fish monster with long hair, a beak, and a body covered in scales that is said to have appeared in Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture) in the late Edo period. This story was featured in a woodblock print (see text below) with illustrations and spread all the way to Edo. Looking at this illustration, it looks like a modern-day “Yuru-chara” (cute mascot character).
Every night, a luminous object appears in the sea of Higo Province. When the local officials went to check on it, they saw the person they were looking for. I live in the sea and my name is Amabie. For six years from that year, the provinces enjoyed good harvests. However, an epidemic broke out, so I quickly took a photo and went into the sea to show it to people. The photo above was sent to Edo by an official. Mid-April, 1845
The story goes, “In mid-April in the third year of the Koka era (1846), a glowing object was appearing in the sea every night, and when officials investigated, a being like the one in the illustration appeared. The figure introduced itself to the officials, saying, ‘I am Amabie, who lives in the sea,’ and ‘From this year, there will be good harvests in all provinces for the next six years, but epidemics will also spread. Show the people a drawing of me as soon as possible,’ before returning to the sea.”
According to yokai researcher Yumoto Goichi, Amabie is a type of “mythical beast” like a mermaid or a kappa, and is a “prophetic beast” that predicts good or bad harvests and epidemics.
It is said that the people of Edo would post this picture above their gates whenever an epidemic occurred. For people at the time, who had no idea what viruses were, let alone the mechanisms of infectious diseases, epidemics were a terrifying sight beyond human comprehension, and Amabie’s prophecy that “put up my picture and the disease will subside” must have been extremely reassuring.
(2) “Amabie”-Inspired Products and Social Media Posts
① Related Products
In step with the COVID-19 pandemic, a wave of yokai merchandise bearing the name “Amabie” has recently begun to appear.
Toa Metals Co., Ltd. has released three products featuring the “Amabie” motif, a Japanese yokai (monster) with the hope of warding off epidemics. They are a small stainless steel bottle, a clip ballpoint pen with Amabie visible from the breast pocket, and an Amabie spoon set.
Shiomi Uchiwa, a manufacturer of Kyoto’s traditional Kyoto uchiwa fans, is currently producing fans featuring the image of Amabie.
Other products on sale include Amabie figures, Amabie badges, Amabie talismans to ward off evil, Japanese sweets featuring Amabie, and Amabie T-shirts.
② Social Media Posting
The “#AmabieChallenge” (Amabie Festival) trend, in which people post illustrations of Amabie, is gaining popularity on social media.
This refers to a movement in which many Twitter users post their own unique takes on Amabie (illustrations, manga, videos, stuffed animals, embroidery, figurines, stamps, carp streamers, and other accessories) using hashtags such as “Amabie,” “AmabieChallenge,” and “AmabieFestival.”
(3) “Amabie” from Shigeru Mizuki’s manga
In the anime series “GeGeGe no Kitaro,” based on the original work by Mizuki Shigeru, Kitaro first appears as a semi-regular character, and later teams up with another water-related yokai, the “Otter.”
He has the ability to foresee upcoming events, and his predictions always come suddenly, but they usually involve events that will happen so soon that there’s no time to respond, or events that are inconsequential, making them almost useless.
He is originally set to live alone underwater, and while he has a childlike, pure, selfish, and carefree personality, like an idol and a little devil, he develops a compassionate heart for others as he lives with Kitaro and his friends.
2. “Festivals to Pray for the End of Diseases” and “Events to Appease Evil Spirits and Gods”
Many regional festivals with origins in warding off disease have been canceled or scaled down this year to avoid the “Three Cs.”
In Kyoto, the May Aoi Matsuri procession and July Gion Matsuri float procession were also canceled. Apparently, the Gion Matsuri was postponed until autumn during a cholera epidemic during the Meiji period.
(1) Gion Matsuri
The Gion Matsuri is a festival held at Yasaka Shrine (Gionsha) in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. Before the Meiji era, it was called the “Gion Goryoe,” but the current name was adopted following the Shinbutsu Bunri (Reiwa Edict) issued during the Meiji Restoration.
Due to the continuing epidemics, the Imperial Court held its first Goryoe at Shinsen-en Garden in 863. Goryoe festivals were held to appease plague gods and vengeful spirits of the deceased. At the time, epidemics were believed to be the curse of the vengeful spirits of those who died with lingering grudges in the world.
Subsequent events, such as the massive eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 and the Jogan earthquake in Mutsu in 869, which resulted in numerous casualties and a tsunami, exacerbated social unrest.
In 869, 66 spears (hoko), representing the number of provinces in Japan, were erected. The evil spirits of each province were transferred to and housed within the spears to purify the provinces. Three portable shrines were then sent, and Gozu Tenno, the deity originally depicted as Yakushi Nyorai, was worshiped. A ceremony to pray for the exorcism of evil spirits was held. This is considered the origin of the Gion Festival.
(2) Genbu Yasurai Festival
This festival, held annually on the second Sunday of April at Genbu Shrine in Kyoto’s Kita Ward, is said to have originated in the Heian period and has a history of over a thousand years. This year’s festival was scaled down.
(3) Yakumo Festival at Kainan Shrine
This festival is held every July at Kainan Shrine in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, as a “festival to pray for the elimination of epidemics.” Its origins date back to the Edo period. This year, it will be held on a smaller scale.
(4) Yakumo Festival at Kodaira Shinmei Shrine
This festival is held every year in late April at Kodaira Shinmei Shrine in Kodaira City, Tokyo, as a “festival to pray for the elimination of epidemics.” It originated in 1661 during the Edo period. This year’s festival has been canceled due to the spread of COVID-19.