Prophetic Beasts

During the late Edo period, mysterious creatures would suddenly appear on beaches or in the water, foretelling impending bountiful harvests or epidemics before vanishing. They invariably left behind a warning: 'An epidemic will spread in the coming years. Draw my likeness and show it to the people, and they shall escape disaster.' Their images were subsequently distributed nationwide via kawaraban (broadsheets) and woodblock prints. Such creatures are known as yogenju (prophetic beasts). From Amabie, who was thrust back into the spotlight during the modern pandemic, to the human-faced bovine Kudan that prophesies world affairs, and Jinjahime, who claims to be an envoy from the Dragon Palace—gathered here are the bizarre prophetic yokai who carried omens of disaster and wished for their own likenesses to serve as protective talismans.