Ichimon Japan Podcasts

What is a tsuchinoko? (All About Japan’s Most Famous Cryptid) | Ichimon Japan 26

By Tony Dot Vega

Posted on October 8, 2020

9 min read

Comments Off

8,675

Today’s Question

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a tsuchinoko?

Topics Discussed

What a tsuchinoko is
How you say “cryptid” in Japanese
Tsuchinoko’s status as a U.M.A. (Unidentified Mysterious Animal)
What a tsuchinoko looks like
Some of the abilities tsuchinoko are said to have
The areas in Japan where tsuchinoko tend to live
The sounds tsuchinoko are said to make
The prevalence of tsuchinoko in the Kinki area
The typical colors tsuchinoko are reported to be
The many names used to refer to tsuchinokos
What tsuchinoko literally translates to and how it is written
The tsuchinoko’s resemblance to a hammer
The mythological creature kirin
The oldest records found in Japan that depict something resembling a tsuchinoko
The possible links between tsuchinoko and Japanese mythology
The goddess Kayanohime
Nodzuchi (野槌)
The tsuchinoko’s rise to promnence in the second half of the 20th century
Soseki Yamamoto, the man who is responsible for kicking off the “Tsuchinoko Boom” of the ’70s and ’80s
Soseki Yamamoto’s journey to document the tsuchinoko
Soseki Yamamoto’s disillusionment with witht he tsuchinoko craze
The town of Mikata in Hyogo Prefecuture’s claim that they possessed a tsuchinoko
Tsuchinoko bounties
The tsuchinoko’s connection to yokai
Some of the many video games in which tsuchinoko appear
The tsuchinoko shrine in Gifu Prefecture
Tsuchinoko as a revered creature of the gods
Tsuchinoko as a PR gimmick/cute mascot character
Real animals that people may have seen and assumed were tsuchinoko
The possibility that blue-tongued skinks are responsible for tsuchinoko sightings
The yamanamekuji’s resemblance to the typical tsuchinoko
The tiger keelback’s (yamakagashi) and its possible resemblance to tsuchinoko
The story of a World War II soldier that thought he had caught a tsuchinoko
And much more!

Note: Whether a tsuchinoko is classified as a yōkai or not depends on who you ask. While it certainly can be classified as such, it is also commonly referred to as as a cryptid (UMA, mikakunin dōbutsu). This peculiarity raises an interesting question: can a creature be both a cryptid and a yōkai? The answer to that question is probably: it depends who you ask.

Listen to Ichimon Japan on

Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Stitcher Spotify iHeartRadio PodBean Tunein RSS

Support on Patreon

If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we’re able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month and that comes with perks like early access to episodes, a shout-out at the beginning of a future episode, bonus content, and discounts to Kimito Designs. For $3 a month you get all that plus access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and its many quirks. Whether you are studying Japanese or just enjoy learning about language and linguistics, you’ll enjoy Japanese Plus Alpha.

And it goes without saying that if you sign up, you’ll also get my undying gratitude. Thanks in advance!

Support on Patreon

Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are some of the English-language articles that were used during the research for this episode.

These are some of the Japanese-language articles used as sorces for this episode.

Here is the Japanese documentary about the tsuchinoko that was mentioned several times during this episode. Again, it is an episode of a Japanese televisions show and so it is completely in Japanese.

To check out the latest episode of Japan Station, use the link below.

Behind the Yoshimoto Curtain: A Chat w. Comedian Stephen Tetsu | Japan Station 49

If you would like to check out the Kimito shop, then use the link below. Remember to use the coupon code OPENING10 when you check out to get 10% off (valid until the end of 2020). And if you buy $25 or more you’ll get another 10% off (valid until the end of October, 2020).

Visit KimitoDesigns.com.

Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC.

Tsuchinoko
- ツチノコ : 槌の子【つちのこ; ツチノコ】 (n) mythical snake-like creature; tsuchinoko
Kirin
- キリン : 麒麟(P); 騏驎【きりん(P); キリン】 (n) (1) (uk) giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis); (n) (2) qilin (Chinese unicorn); (n) (3) (麒麟 only) Kirin (brand of beer); (n) (4) (騏驎 only) (arch) horse that can ride 1000 ri in a day

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We’re always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.