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Japanese yokai starts appearing on Twitter to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Oona McGee Mar 15, 2020
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People in Japan are turning to the mysterious Amabie to help us through the coronavirus pandemic.

As countries around the world struggle to control rising cases of coronavirus, people are buying out masks, cancelling events, washing their hands to the tune of “Happy Birthday”, and praying to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.

Every little bit helps when you’re dealing with a pandemic that’s being described as “the worst public health crisis for a generation”, and here in Japan people are turning to a mysterious yokai from traditional folklore to help ease their worries.

Yokai are supernatural spirits, demons and monsters which have been mentioned in ancient texts for centuries and widely popularised during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Each is known to have a supernatural power, and one that people have found to be particularly appropriate for our times is a yokai called Amabie, who’s said to prevent the spread of epidemics.

According to an Edo-period tile block print dated to 1846, Amabie first appeared in the sea by modern-day Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. The tile tells the story of how Amabie appeared, during April of that same year, when a government official went out to inspect something that was shining brightly in the sea. After venturing out to the spot, the apparition stood before the official, telling them that a bountiful harvest was predicted for the next six years.

Amabie then said: “If an epidemic spreads, draw a picture of me and show it to everyone.”

The image of Amabie that appears on the tile shows the apparition to have long hair flowing down to the ground, a body covered in scales like a mermaid, three legs, and a beak.

▼ The tile block print is now held by the Kyoto University Collection.

コロナが世界中に広がり大変な毎日が続いていますが、熊本には守り神がいます。

「もし疫病が流行することがあれば、私の姿を描いた絵を人々に早々に見せよ」

江戸時代に熊本の海に現れた妖怪アマビエ。
デマではなく伝承です(笑)#Shirasagiso #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/S8eSYkA849

— ホテルしらさぎ　熊本県玉名市 (@shirasagiso) March 11, 2020

Now that the coronavirus epidemic has spread to become a pandemic, Amabie’s words are really striking a chord with people around Japan. Artists everywhere are picking up their art equipment and heeding the yokai’s advice to draw her and “show it to everyone” by sharing images of her widely on Twitter.

#アマビエ
疫病退散の思いを込めて！
描きました！
手塚治虫先生風アマビエ！ pic.twitter.com/nAOAR8Fm6j

— はぁとふる愛国士（田中圭一） (@ktanaka18815213) March 10, 2020

▼ “Get out of here, epidemic!”

疫病退散〜！ #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/dyMIIdkgvP

— サタケシュンスケ｜イラストレーター (@satakeshunsuke) March 9, 2020

▼ Some of the images are cute…

アマビエこてつ　
無病息災！安寧長寿！疫病退散！ pic.twitter.com/5sZj0fgIko

— 山月@アカウント移行中 (@sou_tl) March 10, 2020

https://twitter.com/london_222/status/1237534501678403585

アマビエらくがき(´ω`)#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/dd04ZJhltv

— Jam (@jam_filter) March 7, 2020

▼ Some are stamped, to more closely resemble the original…

https://twitter.com/saki_35_/status/1238114261932445696

▼ Some are animated…

【新しいお友達】#アマビエ #チワワ #犬イラスト pic.twitter.com/QRqmP95OBh

— ばった。 (@batta1107) March 14, 2020

オラオラオラオラオラオラオラオラオラオラァァァーーー！！#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/0h9d10Cs58

— 吾輩は猫です。【グッズ公式】 (@wagahai_is_neko) March 14, 2020

▼ And some are more traditionally eerie and yokai-esque than kawaii.

コロナの最中、描かれた絵を見れば疫病を鎮めるという半人半魚の妖怪「アマビエ」を。#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/lcpkjFXLj4

— 木喬/ハシ (@hashisan) March 4, 2020

「世に疫病が流行ることがあれば私の絵を人々に見せよ」と予言した妖怪 #アマビエを、コロナ退散祈願に妖怪作家がどんどんアップするという流れ。遅ればせながら私も以前描いたアマビエを～🧜‍♀️ 疫鬼退散除難招福 pic.twitter.com/R1qk37IRED

— 小林義和 a.k.a. Barajuzidan (@barajuzidan) March 3, 2020

https://twitter.com/keitakisuke/status/1238400371988393985

▼ This yokai has a magnetic allure.

本垢今鍵してるからここに上げるよりほかないの #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/2k6Mw1cF1G

— linda (@steeleyelinda) March 14, 2020

最近シンプルに体調が悪いので描きました　#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/d7mhaMQLVV

— Kotoinari🌈 (@flandore) March 14, 2020

▼ A lot of artists are using colour and humour to bring hope to a worrying situation.

#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/pF5QKFrOed

— dollly (@ddddolly) March 13, 2020

アマビエさんいっぱい描いたので、早くコロナ静まれください。#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/UIlX6hIDnm

— もりうめこ (@umeco7mori) March 10, 2020

アマビエさんが釣れたれす。
七海ちゃんアマビエ好きそう。#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/5gwnqAE5jq

— 秋津🦚 (@akitsu_kz) March 8, 2020

▼ Amabie Avengers, Assemble!”

疫病退散！アマビエンジャーズ、アッセンボー!! #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/Wfd1nWjAOV

— く͙͙͙ま͙͙͙ぬ͙͙͙ 🐾 別SNS固定ツイ (@kumanuk) March 13, 2020

The person who sketched this one says it looks like Amabie is modelling for a hair commercial.

アマビエさんは、wikiにも載ってる瓦版の絵がすげーかわいいけど、水木しげる御大が描いたのも良いぞ
シャンプーのCMみたくキラキラしてて pic.twitter.com/NXm2VSp97h

— aster (@aster_666) March 12, 2020

▼ There’s also the Armed Amabie…

やってやるぜ！ #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/WxA43wgCkj

— 寺岡賢司　TERAOKA Kenji (@kanatoko28) March 14, 2020

▼ The shopping Amabie…

街に出たアマビエさん。

「アレガホシイ」　#アマビエチャレンジ #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/8JADGbuUWz

— じろぽん🍉司書資格取得済 (@jiroriropom) March 14, 2020

▼ And the Parrot Amabie.

うちのアマビエ pic.twitter.com/izOvgUukXy

— はる (@papagazyo) March 13, 2020

People are even calling on Amabie to help protect them by combining her powers with a more conventional form of protection.

https://twitter.com/higeeeeetyoko/status/1238715140561711104

This image is a sign of the times, with references to the panic-buying of toilet paper and personal hygiene goods.

"アマビエさまと物資、見参！"
ウチ猫ズ、おまたせ！😼😼
ウィルス禍の早い終息を。#アマビエ #キミとダスキス #イラストレーターにできること pic.twitter.com/N2VESn91F7

— エルクポの『キミとダスキス』 (@kimi_to_daskis) March 8, 2020

▼ Amabie fits in perfectly with some of our most current imagery.

アマビエさま可愛すぎてツイッターロゴの鳥さんまで
アマビエさまに見えてきたので並べて描いてみました。
疫病(コロナウィルス)退散と豊作(景気回復)を祈って…！#アマビエ #コロナ pic.twitter.com/zMopYTCfrl

— うさこ村長 (@usako73678703) March 12, 2020

つい作ってしまった…。
いや皆ちょっと連想してると思うんですよ。#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/Mys6YSAMok

— ヨロズナ（萬名游鯏） (@yorozuna) March 8, 2020

The yokai is now showing up everywhere, including on pancakes…

パンケーキアート〜アマビエ #パンケーキアート #アマビエどうか… pic.twitter.com/ZDAGQMVTRW

— LaRicetta99 (@LaRicetta99) March 14, 2020

▼ Cookies…

さらにもうひと活用させて頂きました🙇‍♀️#アマビエ #アマビエチャレンジ pic.twitter.com/vxH7KopYYx

— なおʚïɞくっきー (@pika_hotsands) March 11, 2020

▼ Coffees…

描いて飲んで無病息災！#アマビエ ☕️ pic.twitter.com/zIkmuJfGQe

— s h i i (@chiffon643shii) March 14, 2020

▼ And sausages.

食べられるアマビエを作りました。 pic.twitter.com/FyQzSjyZut

— 前川さなえ (@puninpu) March 13, 2020

▼ Amabie is the covergirl yokai for our generation.

ウイルス絶許AMABIEさん#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/EvueBlZRjq

— 一閃力ルタ (@issencarta99) March 14, 2020

While the legend of Amabie comes from Japanese folklore, when you think about the fact that she appeared from the water to tell her tale, there are connections to be made between the yokai’s message and the importance of cleansing with water to stop the spread of an epidemic.

▼ These days, we have soap, sleep and masks to help protect us too.

海中から現れ疫病や豊作の予言をするという妖怪「アマビエ」
疫病が流行った際にはアマビエが描かれた絵があると病を防げるんだとか…#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/jPoVdNbBJk

— こなつ (@konatsu_tunacan) March 6, 2020

So if you’re already taking all the precautions necessary to protect yourself against the coronavirus and would like to give your spirit a lift, why not draw on some power from a legendary Japanese yokai by drawing an image of her and showing her to everyone?

Don’t forget to share your images online with the hashtag #アマビエ (#Amabie) and take a look through all the many other images of her that are growing by the day.

And if you’ve got some extra time on your hands during this time of social distancing, you might want to try out this 1,000-year-old recipe for an ancient dish that’s suddenly become popular again during the pandemic, which would probably appeal to Amabie too.

Source: The Nishinippon Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan
Featured image: Twitter/@flandore
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