Scientists have solved the mystery of the famous Japanese mermaid: She was not a human being
In February, scientists examined the mummy using CT scans. They then took DNA samples to see what species of animals this mermaid was made of. These are now being analysed.
The team wants to publish the results during the year. Most likely, they will not discover a mermaid or some mysterious species of fish.
But maybe they’ll find out how fishermen assembled their mermaids back then. Even the false ones belong to the history of Japan and were idols.
Not only Kinoshita, but also the priest hope that the study of this mummified mermaid will contribute to her legacy and help her live on in folklore.
Mr. Kinoshita found a report about a mermaid mummy and her bizarre photo from the temple in an encyclopedia of mythical creatures.
He managed to convince the chief priest of the temple, K. Kuida, to look at her.
It was stored in a box. In it, Kinoshita found a letter from 1903. It stated that this mermaid was fished out by fishermen off the island of Shikoku sometime between 1736 and 1741 and sold to a wealthy family.
Her mummified body was passed down from generation to generation. “The mermaid was caught in a net.
The fishermen who caught her did not know that she was a mermaid. They sold it as an unusual fish. My ancestors bought it and kept it as a family treasure,” the letter reads. Then, for an unknown reason, the temple acquired it.
