Fern Flower
Published on November 10, 2018

Amikiri

Regions of expansion

Japan 1
Japan

Description

In Japanese folklore, a flying crustacean that harms mosquito and fishing nets. 

Amikiri or Amikiri (あみきり is the Japanese spelling of the name Amikiri in hirakana syllabic alphabet, 網切 is the original Japanese spelling of the name Amikiri in kanji characters) it can be literally translated as "cutting nets".

They have an elongated body with a red segmented shell, a beak like a bird, and scissor claws instead of hands. In addition, they can fly through the air, swimming in it like a fish in water.

Youkai researcher Kenji Murakami was unable to confirm the existence of a legend about youkai called "amikiri" from any other source in Yamagata Prefecture, which makes it likely that this "legend of amikiri" was created by Nori Yamada for the book "Tohoku Kaidan no Tabi".

Amikiri in popular culture