Arai, prides himself by making special daruma, such as those resembling cute animals and baseball team mascots.
There was a Daruma maker in Hiratsuka who added images of Amabie to his papier mache dolls used for good wishes. Mythological Amabie Against COVID-19 Becomes A Russian MatryoshkaĪnd in a whirlwind, we have arrived at the end of 2020.Īs the end of the year approached another enterprise adapted its traditions, too. In summer there was even a report of a Russian matryoshka maker, Irina Batrushkina, making an Amabie-inspired nesting dolls. The Amabie phenomenon was so popular, it even made its way abroad. COVID-19 Tests Workshops’ Resilience and Spurs New Creativity
How? With an Amabie-patterned summer kimono, of course! When the state of emergency was finally lifted and people could circulate a bit more freely, some fashionistas sought to bring Amabie with them wherever they went. Japan now has “coronavirus-fighting” beer, Amabie IPA, with a label by “Moyasimon” creator Masayuki Ishikawa Therefore, some sought to bring end-of-pandemic good wishes by selling Amabie themed beer, like this one label Moyasimon. Restaurants and bars were closed during the state of emergency between April and May, and food and drink related businesses were hit hard economically. Kyoto Shop Helps Fight Epidemic with Cute Omens on Paper Fans One Kyoto shop sought to reinvent itself during this period by selling paper fans featuring Amabie’s image. Paper fans are normally sold en masse during summer festivals, but with festivals cancelled due to COVID-19, many related enterprises struggled to survive. In spring, one company producing paper fans was featured in our pages as an example. The image even became the logo of the Ministry of Health campaign fighting against COVID-19!Ĭan Ward Off Pestilence? Supernatural Monster ‘Amabie’ Goes Viral in the Face of PandemicĪmabie also became a symbol of resilience for businesses that were struggling during this period. Thought to have the power to ward off pestilence, the yokai saw a renaissance in the start of the pandemic, as people on SNS turned to Amabie and started new industries making good luck charms, key chains, cookies, drawings, and amulets, postcards, nesting dolls and a myriad of other products in its image, hoping for a speedy recovery from the pandemic.
You will be forgiven for not knowing, as many Japanese themselves were unaware of the mythical being before the start of the pandemic.Īmabie is a yokai, or a mythological supernatural creature, which is thought to date back to the Edo period (1603-1868), part mermaid, part bird, part three legged human, its weirdness and cuteness has captured the imagination of netizens around Japan – all the more so because of its special qualities. With one topic per day for five days from December 14 to December 20, make sure you stay tuned to the most popular topics among the Japanese this year! In this series, however, we picked a selection from the popular “Trending Topic of The Year” award, a prize which conveniently recognizes the handful of buzzwords Japanese could get enough of.įrom the words encountered, our readers will be able to get a taste of the most trending topics in Japan in 2020, and read more in our coverage, culminating in this year’s winner of the top prize. To mark this, JAPAN Forward has put together a special to wrap-up the coverage of COVID-19 in Japan, and how people managed to stay cheerful and resilient despite the times. It’s no secret that COVID-19-related news and the fight against the virus has overwhelmed most of us this year. What were the words and topics that Japanese couldn’t get enough of? What were the buzzwords on everyone’s lips? ~What is Amabie anyway? You will be forgiven for not knowing, as many Japanese themselves were unaware of the mythical being before the start of the pandemic.~
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