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Amikiri

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"Amikiri" (網あみ切きり) from the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien.

Amikiri (網あみ(あみ)切きり(きり) or 網もう剪) is a Japanese yōkai depicted in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien.[1]

Concept

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It is depicted as a cross between a serpent, bird or a lobster. It has claws similar to that of a crab or a scorpion, but since there is no explanatory text within the book, it is not certain what kind of yōkai it is.[2] Many yōkai depicted in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō were done in reference to predecessor works like the Hyakkai Zukan, so it can be seen that perhaps it is based on the one that is closest to it in those predecessor works, the kamikiri.[2][3] It uses its claws to cut fisherman's and mosquito netting, which it has a bad habit of, and this behaviour leads to people regarding it as a pest.

In various writings from the Shōwa period, Heisei period, and beyond, the amikiri is explained to be a yōkai that cuts meshes and mosquito nets.[4][5][6]

According to the yōkai researcher Katsumi Tada, "ami" (meaning nets) can lead one to think about "ami" (meaning mysidacea) due to being homophones, interpreting it as an invention that Sekien created as a result of playing around with words.[1] However, mysidacea do not possess claws on their front limbs, so there are some voices questioning the idea that mysidacea was ever thought about in the drawing.[7]

Legend

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In a book titled Tōhoku Kaidan no Tabi by author Norio Yamada, there is a story taking place in the Shōnai region, Yamagata Prefecture about how there was a fishing village where an amikiri repeatedly cut the fishing nets into pieces, and when one person prevented this by taking the net back home quickly and then hiding it, that person found the mosquito nets hung in the rooms all cut by the amikiri, leading to mosquito bites all over this person's body.[8] The yōkai researcher Kenji Murakami was unable to confirm the existence of a legend about a yōkai called "amikiri" from any other source in Yamagata Prefecture, making it likely that this "legend of the amikiri" was simply Yamada's invention.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c 村上むらかみ健司けんじ編著へんちょ (2000). 妖怪ようかい事典じてん. 毎日新聞社まいにちしんぶんしゃ. p. 25. ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0.
  2. ^ a b 稲田いなだ篤信あつのぶ・田中たなか直ただし日にち編へん, ed. (1992). 鳥山とりやま石燕せきえん 画図えず百鬼夜行ひゃっきやこう. 高田たかだ衛まもる監修かんしゅう. 国書刊行会こくしょかんこうかい. pp. 41頁ぺーじ. ISBN 978-4-336-03386-4.
  3. ^ 多田ただ克己かつみ (2000). 京極きょうごく夏彦なつひこ・多田ただ克己かつみ編へん (ed.). 妖怪ようかい図ず巻まき. 国書刊行会こくしょかんこうかい. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-4-336-04187-6.
  4. ^ 藤沢ふじさわ衛彦もりひこ 編へん『妖怪ようかい画が談だん全集ぜんしゅう 日本にっぽん篇へん』上じょう　中央ちゅうおう美術びじゅつ社しゃ 1929年ねん　83頁ぺーじ
  5. ^ 水木みずきしげる (2014). 決定けってい版ばん日本にっぽん妖怪ようかい大全たいぜん 妖怪ようかい・あの世よ・神様かみさま. 講談社こうだんしゃ. p. 59. ISBN 978-4-06-277602-8.
  6. ^ 草野くさの巧たくみ (1997). 幻想げんそう動物どうぶつ事典じてん. 新しん紀元きげん社しゃ. p. 18. ISBN 978-4-88317-283-2.
  7. ^ 妖怪ようかいドットコム (2008). 図説ずせつ 妖怪ようかい辞典じてん. 幻冬舎げんとうしゃコミックス. 幻冬舎げんとうしゃ. p. 85. ISBN 978-4-344-81486-8.
  8. ^ 山田野やまだの理り夫おっと (1974). 東北とうほく怪談かいだんの旅たび. 自由じゆう国民こくみん社しゃ. p. 186. NCID BA42139725.

See also

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