The COVID-19 outbreak has brought new creativity to Japanese Twitter, resulting in the sudden popularity of this mysterious bird-mermaid (アマビエ, amabie).

Bird Mermaid? (Birdmaid??) Coronavirus?

Why Is This Mermaid Monster Trending on Twitter?

Look up the #アマビエ (amabie) hashtag on Twitter, and you're likely to find a number of images of a uniquely Japanese creature that looks like nothing you've ever seen before. The bird-beaked fish-tailed maiden is an amabie, and she's become something of a mascot, a symbol of those praying for the COVID-19 outbreak to swiftly come to an end.

The trend began with a tweet from a Japanese shop specializing in traditional, Japanese scroll-style posters depicting Japanese monsters and legendary monsters (a fairly niche market, certainly). The shop, Orochidou, shared an image of one of their posters, hoping to encourage others to join them and post their own illustrations of Japanese monsters. What they did not expect was for the amabie to boom in popularity on Twitter over the next 10 days, with even the official Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare getting involved.

とんでもない勢いで某ウイルスが流行ってますが妖怪の中に「流行り病がでたら対策のためにわたしの姿を描いて人々にみせるように」と言ったのがいるんですよ。

アマビエって言うんですけど。 pic.twitter.com/y4pCLAbPkQ

— 大蛇堂＠陰陽師展4/9~4/19 (@orochidou) February 27, 2020

Introducing the Amabie

While some of Japan's legendary creatures have made it into international spheres (you'll find kappas everywhere from Harry Potter to Pokemon), the amabie still lives in obscurity, even in Japan. The mermaid, supposedly witnessed in Kumamoto Prefecture during the Edo period (1603 ~ 1868), is described as having long hair, a bird beak, and a scaley fish body – although they supposedly have three tail fin legs instead of two (which we hear is the standard for mermaids). Thanks to the relatively recent history of the legendary creature, historical documents collected in the library of Kyoto University describe discovering the amabie in the mid-19th century. People living in the Higo Province (current day Kumamoto) saw something glowing in the sea on a nightly basis, so they gathered and went to the shore to investigate. What appeared from the waters told the people it was an amabie, and that it lived in the ocean. Next, it announced that they would have good harvests for the next six years, but that disease might also spread, so they people should show a portrait of the amabie to anyone who fell sick. Then the mermaid returned to the water.

Image Source: Wikipedia

The promises of the amabie make it seem less monstrous, and more like the human-like mermaids we see in other mythologies. And of course the biggest promise, that just looking at a portrait of the amabie should cure disease, is exactly why it became the perfect mascot to take over Twitter during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Internet Gets to Work! Making the Most of this New Infection Prevention Mermaid Mascot

With this new inspiration to work with, the bored, quarantined, and ultra-creative minds of the internet had plenty to do. With the legend telling us that the amabie can help prevent epidemic, illustrations flooded twitter, with the mermaid telling the world to stay home, to practical social distancing, and stay safe! And it didn't stop there, with the amabie inspiring crafts, cosplay, and more.

自宅待機するということは
なるべく外部と接触を避けるということですが、
どうしても食べ物は買いにいかなければいけません。

その中で缶詰は日持ちしますよね

今は多種多様で美味しい
缶詰がたくさんあります

家にいて美味しい缶詰をつまみに
一杯なんていかがです？#自宅待機 #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/avE5X7P4HY

— 伝説のアマビエ (@LINE19839422) April 10, 2020

When the artists of the internet are stuck at home, the internet gets some amazing content. Look at this adorably animated amabie staying home and pigging out on canned shrimp.

人々が家にいるとき、アマビエは街をゆく。

アマビエさんを待ち受けサイズにしてみました。(昼と夜)#アマビエ　#StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/ruFv3M7xO6

— さかざきちはる (@46963chiharu) April 7, 2020

If you've ever used a convenient train pass in Tokyo, this little amabie might look familiar. That's because these are Suica amabie (#Suicaアマビエ)! While you stay home, the creator tells us, amabie is riding the rails and traveling Japan, trying to end the outbreak.

【アマビエねぷたご注文希望の方へ】
地場セレクトは受付休止いたしましたが
津軽藩ねぷた村で引き続き注文を受付するということになりました！

ご希望の方はこちらまでお願いします#津軽藩ねぷた村
info＠neputamura.comまたは0172-39-1511まで#アマビエ #アマビエねぷた pic.twitter.com/hDn9eWkRPO

— 青森県地場セレクト担当じば美 (@aomorijibasele) April 9, 2020

Perhaps hanging these amabie lanterns from Aomori-ken Jiba Select will ward off the virus.

【知らないうちに、拡めちゃうから。】

「#アマビエ」をモチーフに、若い方を対象とした啓発アイコンを作成しました。自分のため、みんなのため、そして大切な人のため、できることを私たち一人ひとりがしっかりやって、ウイルスの感染拡大を防ぎましょう！STOP！感染拡大#新型コロナウイルス pic.twitter.com/zbbOrr4bPH

— 厚生労働省 (@MHLWitter) April 9, 2020

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare came out with this simple amabie design, telling the young people of Japan (they themselves say) to do their best to prevent the spread of the virus.

【アマビエチャレンジ】
江戸時代後期の肥後国（現・熊本県）に現れたというアマビエ。
皆に笑顔とパワーを届けるべく
香梅の和菓子職人の手からも現れました。#エアー和菓子 #アマビエ #上生菓子 #熊本 #お菓子で日本を元気に ❗️
※現時点で販売は予定しておりません。 pic.twitter.com/vQ0ALsgqed

— お菓子の香梅 (@kobai_jindaiko) April 13, 2020

Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) maker Kobai even created these beautiful and edible amabie wagashi.

おはようございます
今日はいい天気！！！

アマビエさま
豊作や疫病を知らせるってことなので
良いお告げを描いてみました😍
だいぶお姿変わってるかな💦💦💦#星野源#アマビエ
良いことをイメージするって
大切だよね…… pic.twitter.com/5SBtxgpUmG

— meimei (@meihagengasuki) April 13, 2020

It's Gen Hoshino in amabie form! Hoshino is a popular Japanese singer-songwriter, who's been in the news recently thanks to his new quarantine-themed song Dancing on the Inside, all about staying home. The song inspired quite a few other Japanese musicians to sing along and post their versions on social media, all telling the world to stay home and stay safe! Perhaps Gen Hoshino really is part-amabie.

飲食店用アマビエ。#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/DWKzsZb9Ke

— いしかわじゅん (@ishikawajun) April 9, 2020

If only Starbucks had switched over from their standard mermaid in time to prevent this little fiasco!

レース編マビエhttps://t.co/TNfUbT81uV
レース糸でアマビエ編めました！
編み始めから終わりまで1本の糸を途切れさせることなく編んでいます。#ネット超会議2020 #参加 #ニコニコ手芸祭 #アマビエ pic.twitter.com/gUpTH8tYIA

— べっちん (@betibettin) April 12, 2020

We can really see the broad range of creativity on the internet with items like this hand-woven lace amabie…

春なのに、楽しい話が無くなっていき暴れだしそうな私（スタッフK）。
「アマビエ様描くから、コーヒー作ってください！」と暴れ、アマビエって何？となってるマスターを振り切り出来上がりました！

みんなの楽しい春！
元気いっぱいの春！
早く来ますように！

平癒祈願で120円！#アマビエ pic.twitter.com/AjdKWTdVwf

— kobacoffee 倉敷自家焙煎コーヒー (@kobacoffee) April 10, 2020

…this special amabie coffee…

アマビエさまのミニブローチができました！
ナデナデすると、つるつるしています。応援価格のワンコインで販売します。疫病退散、プチギフト、お守りがわりにどうぞ🧜‍♀️ #アマビエhttps://t.co/mwXgwNQFTd pic.twitter.com/yj0OP3oqLW

— タニヤナギユウ (@yu_merico) April 14, 2020

…and even wearable little mini-amabie pins!

#amabie

Want to see more of Japanese twitter's whimsical amabie creations? Just look up the hashtag #アマビエ (you'll find the most results using the original Japanese), and check it out yourself! There's more creativity popping up every day, so if you see anything good (or make any amabie creations yourself) let the Japankuru team know on twitter, instagram, and facebook!