Amahiko no Mikoto - 天日子尊- [Yokai]

Amahiko no Mikoto - [1875] - (JP: 天日子尊 'His Highness Heaven Prince')

This is "Amahiko no Mikoto" - "The Holy Amahiko" – Literally "sunshine boy"
Unlike most of the other prophetic beasts that who had previously appeared from the ocean: This odd four legged beast appeared in Yuzawa, Nigata prefecture in a wet Rice field during a  7 year famine. People where afraid of it at the start, but it eventually managed to get the attention of someone trustworthy – it apparently told them:
"I am Amahiko no Mikoto, and I have just appeared here as the result of 7 years of bad harvests, Pity me and place my image on the eaves of your houses, if you do so, then the people of the village will be spared from further disease and suffering, there will be good harvest for 7 more years." – [There's no record of what happened to it after telling its prophecy, perhaps it flew away or just vanished.]

[Tokyo Nichi-Nichi newspaper of 1875]

This ones a bit more dubious than the others because "mikoto" – meaning "precious" or "noble" – can also have Shinto religious connotations: (it literally proclaimed that itself to be 'a sun god.')- [and I'd doubt its holiness regardless as a lot of these epidemic warding yokai had backstories made up by travelling salesmen to sell their charms for a quick buck!] –

After Arie came around the following year [June 1876] ( appearing in a village that didn't even exist.) Yokai like these began to be called out as hoaxes... So, its a bit funny that the more popular "Amabie" is essentially starting to be worshipped again. Still-- in covid times like these: I suppose Its the thought that counts over their defcato legitimacy: I hope these work as a reminder to eat, sleep, take care of yourself, wear a mask, wash your hands, etc etc.- They are a fun reading/writing/Art distraction during quarantine, if nothing else! :-)

My take: It's supposedly shaped like a Daruma doll with legs, but its "hairs" – (which might actually have meant to represent rays of sun?) – Makes it look a bit like an blobby amoeba. So, i sort of tried to smush the two concepts together: so, its a holy beast... but its maybe a bit slimy. (get it?)

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo, thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather resistant 4" sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!