In a quiet corner of Enjuin Temple in Asakuchi city, Japan, a small wooden box long held one of the country’s most peculiar relics: a 300-year-old mummified “mermaid” that generations of worshippers believed possessed the power to grant everlasting life. Now, for the first time, the bizarre specimen is undergoing rigorous scientific scrutiny, with CT scans already completed and DNA testing underway that could finally resolve whether it is a genuine marine mystery or a clever historical fabrication.
The mummy, measuring just 12 inches (about 30 cm) in length, was allegedly fished from the waters off Shikoku island sometime between 1736 and 1741. Its upper half bears an eerily human-like appearance — complete with a grimacing face, hands, and what appears to be a hairy head and brow — while the lower half tapers into a fish-like tail covered in scales. The creature’s grotesque yet compelling features have fascinated observers for centuries.
Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society recently rediscovered the mummy inside its storage box at the temple, along with a revealing letter dated 1903. According to that document, fishermen caught the “unusual fish” and sold it to a wealthy family. The specimen was passed down through generations before finding its way to Enjuin Temple.
For decades, the mummy was an object of veneration. Roughly 40 years ago, it was placed on public display so worshippers could pray before it in hopes of attaining longer lives. It was later stored for preservation. Kinoshita noted that its cultural significance is deeply rooted in Japanese folklore.
“Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality,” Kinoshita explained. “It is said that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you will never die. There is a legend in many parts of Japan that a woman accidentally ate the flesh of a mermaid and lived for 800 years.” Some devotees reportedly even consumed scales from such mummies in pursuit of that promised longevity.
The temple’s chief priest, Kozen Kuida, revealed that prayers offered to the mermaid extended into modern times. “We have worshipped it, hoping that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic even if only slightly,” he said. Local legends also credit mermaids with predicting the future and warning of infectious diseases, including ties to the famous “Yao-Bikuni” tale preserved near the temple.
Despite its revered status, experts have long suspected the mummy is not what it appears. Kinoshita, who is leading efforts to understand its origins, remains convinced it is a man-made creation rather than a genuine cryptid.
“Of course, I don’t think it’s a real mermaid,” he stated. “I think this was made for export to Europe during the Edo period, or for spectacles in Japan.” He pointed to the global fascination with mermaid legends across Europe, China, and Japan as motivation for such curiosities. “I think it is made from living animals and we would like to identify them by CT scans or DNA testing. It looks like a fish with scales on the lower body and a primate with hands and a face on the upper body.”
On February 2, researchers at Kurashiki University conducted CT scans on the specimen, marking the first modern scientific examination. The scans and ongoing DNA analysis are expected to determine the exact animal components used in its construction. Kinoshita believes the upper torso likely came from a monkey, while the tail was attached from a fish — a common technique for creating “grotesque” exhibits in previous centuries.
The findings, once fully analyzed, are scheduled to be made public later this year. Until then, the mermaid mummy continues to blur the line between folklore and history, captivating both believers in its supernatural powers and skeptics drawn to its craftsmanship.
Whether DNA tests ultimately confirm it as an elaborate Edo-period hoax or reveal an even more surprising origin, the specimen stands as a fascinating window into Japan’s rich tradition of blending myth, commerce, and wonder. For now, the 300-year-old enigma remains one of history’s most enduring — and smallest — mysteries.