AMABIE アマビエ

Pronunciation: AH-mah-BEE-ay

Also known as: Amabiko (尼彦, 雨彦, 天彦), sometimes pronounced Amahiko

Overview

The amabie is a glowing scaled sea creature with a beak and long hair. The yōkai suddenly appeared off the coast of Japan in the mid-1800s and warned of a widespread illness. It then urged the man who first encountered it to draw its likeness and show it to others, and instructed that he should encourage those who looked upon the drawing to do the same. The amabie promised that everyone who did so would be protected from disease and spared misfortune.

This clairvoyant ocean dweller was all but forgotten until COVID-19, when its extremely rough and utterly charming image returned along with a message of hope. Mizuki Productions (the production company of the late Mizuki Shigeru, the creator of the GeGeGe no Kitarō manga and anime) revived this magical mermaid-like creature in a single tweet. On March 17, 2020, they shared Mizuki Shigeru’s own drawing of the yōkai, explained the story of the amabie, and wished for the current pandemic to disappear.

Almost immediately after the Mizuki Productions’ social media post, the #amabiechallenge began, and people all across Japan—and, not long after, all throughout the world—began sharing their own paintings, sketches, animations, crocheted dolls, embroidery, clay sculptures, food creations, and sweets of the yōkai. There was no end to the creativity and fun people were having, as they all came together with the same wish: for the pandemic to end soon.