Mythical monster goes viral as Japan prays for end of coronavirus pandemic - straits times
Mythical monster goes viral as Japan prays for end of coronavirus pandemic - straits times |
| Mythical monster goes viral as Japan prays for end of coronavirus pandemic - straits times Posted: 15 May 2020 03:01 AM PDT TOKYO (AFP) - Move over Pokemon and Hello Kitty, in coronavirus-hit Japan, a new character has captured hearts and hopes: Amabie, a beak-nosed, long-locked mythical mermaid monster said to repel plagues. In recent weeks, the mash-up monster has become the unlikely mascot of hopes for an end to the pandemic, emerging from relative obscurity to become a trending Twitter hashtag, as well as the inspiration for everything from cakes to nail art. Her revival in fortunes was sparked in early March, when the Kyoto University Library tweeted an 1846 drawing of the creature floating above the sea, accompanied by a text explaining her apparent infection-fighting powers. The scaly social media star is supposed to have appeared to a samurai in southern Kumamoto prefecture, warning of the spread of an infectious disease and instructing him to draw a picture of her and show it to people to protect them. The post quickly went viral, and sparked the "Amabiechallenge", with everyone from amateurs to artists posting their renditions of the mythical monster. The long-locked legend has also sparked on outpouring of creative content, including an udon dish featuring Amabie in the form of a fish sausage emerging from a bowl, with the traditional wheat noodles for her hair. She has also found herself immortalised in bento form, her body and distinctive beak carved from a piece of luncheon meat and hair represented by thin strips of Japanese rolled omelette. Amabie is part of a rich pantheon of Japanese mystical monsters called yokai. Many have faded from popular imagination, but others live on, including in the form of modern-day mascots like the turtle-inspired river monster Kappa, now associated with Tokyo's famed kitchen street Kappabashi.  Amabie's recent revival has come as something of a surprise to some yokai experts, including Masanobu Kagawa of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History. "Amabie is not the oldest yokai in Japanese history to warn of an epidemic, so it's not that important to researchers," he told AFP, describing others including "Jinja-hime" (shrine princess), who features a woman's face and a dragon's body. But none seem to have captured the imagination quite like Amabie. At one Japanese cake shop in northern Akita prefecture, a version of her rendered as a traditional wagashi cake in pastel pinks and blues has been flying off the shelves, sales manager Hirohide Kato told AFP. "This is the first time we've made Amabie-themed cakes," he said. They can only produce 250 a day, but "they're so popular they sell out by noon." And at an aquarium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, a sea lion who has gained fame for his calligraphy and painting skills has been trained to draw the monster. "He started drawing Amabie in late March, practising for about a month," keeper Sae Ishino told AFP. "We perform the drawing of Amabie hoping the pandemic of the new coronavirus will come to an end soon." |
| What's happening during Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Festival - Grampian Online Posted: 16 May 2020 12:30 AM PDT Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Festival will be a virtual event for 2020, with a wide selection of events organised to take place throughout the week. Running from Monday, May 18, activities include mindfulness, art, fitness, stories, cookery and much more with something for all ages and all interests to ensure everybody can spend some time focussing on their wellbeing. The following events will be taking place daily throughout the week:
 The following events are scheduled for Monday, May 18:
The following events are scheduled for Tuesday, May 19:
The following events are scheduled for Wednesday, May 20:
The following events are scheduled for Thursday, May 21:
The following events are scheduled for Friday, May 22:
The following events are scheduled for Saturday, May 23:
Zoom links for each session will allow up to 100 participants.Individual distance Reiki sessions will be scheduled in advance according to demand. To book a place on any of these sessions e-mail stepsintowellness@outlook.com or phone 07764 848623.
This website is powered by the generosity of readers like you. BECOME A SUPPORTER |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "monster aquarium fish" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment