Amabiko アマビコ

Amabiko (アマビコ) is a prophetic sea-dwelling yokai that gained significant fame as a protective spirit during the mid-19th century.

Meaning and Origin

The name Amabiko is often written phonetically, but its kanji variations like 尼彦 (Nun Boy) or 天日子 (Sunlight Child) suggest a celestial or semi-divine status.

Its origins are rooted in the late Edo and early Meiji periods, a time when Japan was plagued by frequent epidemics like cholera. Sightings of Amabiko were reported from the sea off various provinces, with the earliest recorded account dating back to 1844 in Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata). It belongs to a group of “prophetic savior” yokai who appear to offer humans a way to survive disasters.

Characteristics

Descriptions of the Amabiko vary, but it is generally described as a hairy, ape-like or simian creature. It typically has three or four legs, large round eyes, and a beak-like or protruding mouth. Some versions describe it as glowing with a holy light as it emerges from the waves.

It is functionally almost identical to the more famous Amabie, and many scholars believe that “Amabie” was actually a misspelling of “Amabiko” in a 19th-century woodblock print that became the definitive version of the legend.

Legends

According to legends, the Amabiko appears out of the ocean to address humans. It delivers a two-part prophecy: first, it foretells a period of bumper harvests (prosperity), and second, it warns of an impending wave of disease or plague.

Crucially, the Amabiko offers a charm for survival. It instructs the witness to draw or distribute its likeness, claiming that anyone who looks upon its image will be spared from the illness. During the historic epidemics of the 1800s, woodblock-printed newspapers (kawaraban) containing Amabiko’s image and story were sold throughout Japan as protective talismans.