Yokai Encyclopedia

This is the legendary mermaid Zan, famously caught in the net of a Nosoko fisherman, weeping tears as it begged for its life. It is said that in gratitude for being released, it warned the village of an approaching tsunami, ultimately saving the entire community. Its true identity is the dugong, a marine mammal that has long been revered in Ryukyuan waters as a sacred messenger of the gods. Rather than raging and bringing forth calamity, the Zan stands between the ocean and the land to warn humans of impending disaster before it strikes. As the most compassionate prophet born of the Ryukyuan sea, the Zan's story continues to be told to this day.