A half-man, half-fish yokai spirit called Amabie "appeared" during the Edo period (1603-1868) in the Higo domain, what is now Kumamoto Prefecture. The story goes that this yokai had the power to predict an epidemic and apparently said that when such a time arose, "Duplicate my image and show it to the people."
In hoping for an end to the novel coronavirus epidemic as soon as possible, products that feature the shape or image of Amabie are hitting store shelves.
At Okashi Rakuichi, a confectioner in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, images of Amabie are stamped on its rice cracker packages. The stamp was based on a design by the company's president, Tadao Soma.
"I want to pour all my heart out to show my appreciation of our customers, those who come by the shop during the requests to stay home and those who make purchases online," Soma said.
A 12-year-old elementary school student was at the store and seemed curious about the yokai's appearance.
"I didn't know anything about Amabie," he said. "But thanks to these delicious snacks, I learned about it for the first time."
At the other end of the capital in Ota Ward, wagashi confectioner Kiyono has on display Amabie-shaped nerikiri kneaded sweets. Harumi Kuroda, the second-generation owner of the shop, said she designed the product with the hope that it can give customers a bit of a boost.
Sold since April 18, the wagashi is made with natural ingredients and has gained a favorable reception for its cuteness and gentle sweetness.
The nationwide state of emergency has been lifted for 42 of Japan's 47 prefectures as of May 21, but Tokyo and the prefectures of Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama remain in that status on special alert. In Tokyo, the number of new reported cases has been on the decline since May 3, however, it's not the time to be complacent. Patience is being urged for a bit longer. That seems to be what these Amabie products are telling us.
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