Japan, just like pretty much the rest of the world has an extensive collection of literature on mythology, as well as a unique view on things.
This can be considered as part of their culture which foreign nationals need to accept as part of their way of life in Japan.
Sightings of Rare Fish Spark Fear of Natural Disasters among Netizens
Recent sightings of a rare, serpent-like creature – which, in Japanese lore, is widely considered as a harbinger of calamities and natural disasters – have triggered Japanese netizens on social media to a frenzy, as shared in a report by news.com.au.
One of the Twitter users wrote, “This is no doubt evidence of a precursor to an earthquake,” following two separate spottings of “oarfish” off the north-coast area of Toyama prefecture last week.
They added, “And if it is in the Nankai Trough, it might be a huge quake.”
Photos shared on Instagram revealed one of the two deep-sea dwellers – which according to reports measured around three and four metres, respectively. One was unearthed along the shore of Toyama Bay and the other one got caught in a fishing net near the port of Imizu.
Based on Japanese folklore, the sea creature will rise to the surface on purpose, and beach themselves whenever they sense that an impending trouble or disaster is underway. Residents in the area have reported these creatures’ presence prior to arrivals of tsunamis and earthquakes in the past – which include the 2011 Fukushima quake.
To this, experts allayed fears growing among the public, and said that there is no need to worry.
As per Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, the link to reports of seismic event goes back many, many years but there is no scientific evidence to support this connection.
Motomura added that these fish tend to rise to the surface when their physical condition is deteriorating, rising on water currents, which is why they are often found dead on the shore or in similar areas.
Still, the sightings have caused quite a stir among social media users during the past week. Many users on Japan’s 5-channel chat site were reportedly referring to the oarfish – which roughly translates in Japanese to “Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace” – as a cautionary sign.