Amikiri: The Mischievous Net Cutter of Japanese Folklore
Imagine sleeping soundly on a humid summer night in Edo-period Japan, protected by a mosquito net, only to wake up covered in itchy bites. You inspect the mesh and find it inexplicably slashed. According to Japanese folklore, this wasn’t an accident or wear and tear; it was likely the work of the Amikiri.
As a travel and culture blogger fascinated by the supernatural, I have always found Japanese yokai (spirits/monsters) to be a window into the daily anxieties and humor of the past. The Amikiri, or “Net Cutter,” is a perfect example of a creature born from the minor frustrations of life. Let’s dive into the history, legend, and modern footprint of this peculiar spirit.
Origins: A Creature of the Edo Imagination
The Amikiri (網切) first crawled out of the ink and into the public consciousness in 1776. It was depicted by the legendary ukiyo-e artist Toriyama Sekien in his seminal work, Gazu Hyakki Yagyo (The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons).
Unlike the terrifying Oni or the tragic Yurei, the Amikiri is physically bizarre rather than frightening. It is typically depicted as a small, chimera-like creature with the body of a snake, the claws of a crab or lobster, and a bird-like beak. It flies through the air, swimming through the atmosphere as if it were water.
While some yokai have deep roots in ancient religious texts, many scholars believe the Amikiri might be a visual pun created by Sekien. The creature resembles a small shrimp or scorpion, and its name literally describes its function: Ami (net) and Kiri (to cut). It serves as a personification of a very specific domestic annoyance.
The Legend of the Net Cutter
The Amikiri is not a malevolent demon seeking human souls; it is a nuisance spirit. Its modus operandi is simple, strange, and entirely silent.
The Silent Slasher
According to folklore, the Amikiri appears briefly, usually during the summer. It flies quietly into homes or near riverbanks. Using its sharp, scissor-like claws or beak, it snips holes in fabrics. Its favorite targets were the kaya (mosquito nets) that were essential for a good night’s sleep in old Japan.
However, the Amikiri didn’t stop at the bedroom. Legends also tell of fishermen finding their fishing nets ruined after a night left on the docks. In a culture that relied heavily on seafood, a cut fishing net was a significant economic blow. Consequently, while the Amikiri was physically harmless to humans, the financial and physical discomfort it caused gave it a reputation as a pest.
There is a fascinating theory regarding its design. Some folklorists suggest the Amikiri is modeled after the scorpion. In old Japan, there was a belief that scorpions could not cut through wool but could slice through mosquito netting. Toriyama Sekien may have taken this folk belief and anthropomorphized it into the yokai we see today.
Modern Culture: From Pests to Pop Culture
In contemporary Japan, the fear of having your mosquito net slashed has vanished with the advent of air conditioning and screen windows. However, the Amikiri lives on in Japan’s vibrant pop culture scene.
- Manga and Anime: The Amikiri was popularized for a new generation by Shigeru Mizuki in his iconic series GeGeGe no Kitaro. Mizuki’s encyclopedic approach to yokai ensured that obscure Edo-period creatures were not forgotten.
- Video Games: You can find variations of the Amikiri in the Yokai Watch franchise and the Megami Tensei series. In these iterations, the creature is often portrayed as a quirky, specialized monster that debuffs players by lowering their defenses—a digital translation of “cutting the net.”
Traveler’s Tips: Where to Find the Amikiri
If you are planning a trip to Japan and want to hunt for the Amikiri (camera in hand, of course), here are the best spots to immerse yourself in yokai culture:
1. Mizuki Shigeru Road (Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture)
This is the ultimate pilgrimage for yokai lovers. The hometown of Shigeru Mizuki features a street lined with over 170 bronze statues of yokai, including the Amikiri. It is a whimsical, open-air museum where you can buy Amikiri-themed souvenirs.
2. Yokai Street (Ichijo-dori, Kyoto)
Kyoto is the ancient capital and the heart of Japanese folklore. Ichijo-dori is said to be the path of the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.” Local shopkeepers have embraced this legend, creating homemade yokai statues that stand outside their stores. It is a less polished, more authentic community celebration of the supernatural.
3. The Miyoshi Mononoke Museum (Miyoshi, Hiroshima)
This museum houses a massive collection of yokai artifacts from the collection of Yumoto Koichi. You can see authentic Edo-period scrolls and pottery depicting the Amikiri and its cohorts.
Sources & Further Reading
To deepen your understanding of Japanese mythology, consider exploring these foundational texts and collections:
- Gazu Hyakki Yagyo (The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons) by Toriyama Sekien (1776) – The primary visual source for the Amikiri.
- Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) – While the Amikiri is a later Edo-period invention and does not appear in these ancient texts, reading them provides the necessary context for the animistic worldview that allows creatures like the Amikiri to exist.
- Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt – A fantastic modern English resource for understanding these creatures.