Namazu
Encyclopedia
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
, the Namazu (鯰) or Ōnamazu (大鯰) is a giant catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
who causes earthquakes. He lives in the mud beneath the earth, and is guarded by the god Kashima
Kashima
Kashima is the name of several places in Japan:*Kashima, Ibaraki, a city in Ibaraki Prefecture*Kashima, Saga, a city in Saga Prefecture*Kashima District, Ibaraki, a district in Ibaraki Prefecture...
who restrains the catfish with a stone. When Kashima lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes. Following an earthquake near Edo (modern day Tokyo) in 1855
1855 Ansei Edo earthquake
The , also known as the Great Ansei Earthquake, was one of the major disasters of the late-Edo period. The earthquake occurred at 22:00 local time on 11 November. It had an epicenter close to Edo , causing considerable damage in the Kantō region from the shaking and subsequent fires, with a death...
(one of the Ansei Great Quakes
Ansei Great Quakes
The Ansei Great Earthquakes were a series of three major earthquakes that struck Japan during the Ansei era ....
), the Namazu became worshiped as a yonaoshi daimyojin (god of world rectification).
Namazu-e (catfish prints) are a minor genre of ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
. They are usually unsigned and encompass a large variety of scenes such as a namazu forcing the wealthy to excrete coins for the poor, and a namazu atoning for the earthquake he caused.
It is believed by some that the origin of the story is the fact that catfish can sense the small tremors which happen before an earthquake, and are shown to be more active at such times. Supposedly, the sudden activity was observed in ancient times and believed the quakes to be the result of a giant catfish.
Modern use
Catfish are depicted on pictures of emergency earthquake preparedness activities in Japan. For Example, the Earthquake Early Warning (Japan)Earthquake Early Warning (Japan)
The is a warning issued just after an earthquake in Japan is detected. The warnings are issued mainly by the Japan Meteorological Agency , and they issue tips on how to react to the warnings.-Introduction:...
logo by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
utilizes pictures of the catfish on devices capable of issuing an early warning.