Magical Mermaids of Japanese Folklore

The ningyo, which translates as human fish (known also as gyojin, meaning human fish, or hangyo-jin, meaning half-fish human) is a creature in Japanese folklore that is comparable to the mermaids in Western legends. Despite the similarity in concept, i.e. the ningyo and mermaid being creatures with both terrestrial and marine body parts, these two entities are actually quite different.

For example, in Western folklore, mermaids are generally regarded as beautiful, seductive beings who would lure men to their deaths. As for the Japanese ningyo, there is no such ‘standard’ story, as these creatures not only vary in the way they look, but also in the way they are said to interact with human beings.

Differing Appearance

Unlike their Western counterparts, the Japanese ningyo, in general, are much less attractive. They are often portrayed as creatures with the top half of a monkey and the bottom half of a fish. Such ningyo have also been made by the Japanese, one of the most famous examples being P. T. Barnum’s ‘Fiji Mermaid’.

Nevertheless, there are also ningyo which bear even less resemblance to the mermaids of the West. For instance, it has been claimed that in numerous local traditions, the ningyo do not have human (or even ape-like) torsos at all. Instead, they have just a human / ape-like / reptilian head attached to the body of a fish. At times, these heads are depicted grotesquely, i.e. misshapen / horned / with a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs.