A mummified creature that seemed to be half-human and half-fish was caught in a fisherman's net, circa 1740. It has since rested within the Enjuin Buddhist Temple in Asakuchi, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
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A strange creature discovered
As disclosed by TheSun, this mystery monster has a more than human look with a 30 cm length, a grimacing face, sharp fangs, two hands, and hair on the head. But that's not all, its lower part resembles a mermaid or a fish.
But why is this subject being brought up again now?
Hiroshi Kinoshita, a local folklore expert, came across a photo of the alleged Asakuchi mermaid a few years ago. This image was taken from a book written by Kiyoaki Sato (1905-1998), who wrote an encyclopedia of Ykai, or supernatural entities.
According to Hiroshi Kinoshita, this creature could have religious significance. He tells Paris Match:
Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality. They say that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you will never die. There is a legend in many parts of Japan that a woman accidentally ate the flesh of a mermaid and lived for 800 years.
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Scientists are looking for answers
After uncovering the existence of this monster, a local folklore expert was able to persuade the Kurashiki University of Sciences and Arts to investigate it further. On February 2, the artefact was handed over to scientists to be scanned.
What is the objective? It is to investigate the DNA of this find to see if it is a man's or an ape's head attached to a fish body. The discoveries might support the legends of the mystical 'mermaids.'
