The unusual, mysterious and peculiar country of Japan does not cease to amaze and interest its western neighbors. Its culture is slowly penetrating the thoughts and habits of citizens of other states, albeit still limited to cooking, cars and cartoons. When trying to comprehend Japanese culture, the main thing is not to try to directly interpret any symbol: the Japanese meaning is sometimes directly opposite to what Europeans put into the image. It is better to listen and read what the Japanese themselves think about this.
Symbolism in Japan
As a state completely isolated by water from other continents and heavily dependent on the vagaries of the ocean and its gifts, the Land of the Rising Sun is very respectful of marine life. Almost every ocean inhabitant is a symbol for the inhabitants of the archipelago. The Japanese octopus, for example, personifies love. And not brotherly or motherly, but the most carnal. Having served a dish with octopus to the Japanese, you openly invite him to bed. And he has no right to refuse!
Sacred carp
Almost every Japanese fish has its own sacred meaning. The symbol, known more widely than others and loved by the Japanese more than others, is the carp. On the islands, it has the name "koi" and is considered the embodiment of strength and courage. This is explained by the persistence of the carp, going to spawn. Koi is able to jump out of the water higher than one and a half meters, swim against a strong current and always overcome it. In this regard, the Japanese carp acts as the patron saint of men. Koinobori - flags with the appearance of fish - are posted on Boys' Day on the house, sometimes - according to the number of all men living in it. In this case, black is assigned to the father, red to the eldest son (sometimes to the mother), blue to each of the children.
The yellow carp is perceived as a completely different symbol: Japanese koi in this case becomes the personification of love. However, not as aggressive and down to earth as an octopus. Rather, it symbolizes the strength of marriage ties. No wonder the newlyweds in Japan consider it obligatory to release yellow koi into the pond: it seems to be becoming the guarantor of family happiness.
Another "good" fish is perch, in Japanese "tai". In the pantheon of this country there are as many as seven gods of fortune. One of them, Ebisu, is depicted with this fish in his hands. Thay is believed to bring good luck in the writings of the righteous and new, but only good undertakings.
Japanese fish - a symbol of evil and death
The land of the rising sun is notable for its certain rigidity and even cruelty. Perhaps, there are more punishing and threatening images of this people than favorable and patronizing people. And the Japanese symbol of death represents, of course, a shark. Moreover, in addition to the end of life, it can denote undisguised evil, unkind intentions, and danger - ferocious and practically inevitable.
An explanation of the attributed qualities is not difficult to find. Initially, Japan is a country of fishermen and sailors. And in the ocean there is no more formidable predator than a shark. Her intrinsic cunning with persistence makes the fish an even more terrible opponent.
Duality of the image
For all the apprehension with which the shark is perceived by the inhabitants of Japan, it is simultaneously a sacred animal. If the fishermen have to hunt for a shark, it is preceded by special rituals, since a predator can also be a messenger of a deity. In this case, it will be called Sam. And with a respectful attitude towards her, the divine shark helps the sailors: its power is enough to provide the ship with good weather, and the crew - a rich catch. If you make yourself a tattoo in the form of an inhabitant of sea waters, then, according to popular beliefs, it will become a wonderful talisman and will protect you from a variety of troubles in life.
Biju water
Sacred views of the Japanese suggest the existence of highly specialized tailed demons, each of which is responsible for a particular element. The Japanese, by the way, have five of them: lightning is added to the usual Europeans' land, water, fire and air (in the Japanese tradition - wind). The water biju demon is portrayed as a horned shark. Although in some pictures there is a cross between a toad and a turtle, which has three fangs and a tail. Storms and tsunamis are the consequences of a demon shark rising from the depths. Bloodthirstiness, ruthlessness and aggressiveness - these are the features of the symbol of death and evil.
The servants of this demon can get certain “gingerbreads” from him, but it is very expensive to pay for them. This is the difference between the demon shark and the divine messenger Sama.
Other sinister animals
Some researchers often argue which Japanese fish are a symbol of death. Despite the shark being the most terrifying ocean animal, there are other images of evil among Japanese horror stories. The most famous is the deep-sea catfish, called the Japanese fishermen Namazu. However, this is a slightly different symbol: the Japanese people are more likely to ascribe to it the not personified forces of nature, the blind rage of the elements. Rather, we can say that Namazu personifies (and according to certain beliefs - portends) terrible disasters that threaten troubles and deaths.
The eel also has a bad reputation. Despite the fact that it is a favorite ingredient in many national dishes, this underwater inhabitant often acts as a symbol of cunning and sudden death. Probably, and eat it to prevent the latter and the destruction of insidious plans.
On the southern islands of the Japanese archipelago, for some reason, a harmless manta sometimes appears in a frightening way of death. Probably, the reason for this is a peculiar appearance, for which a malicious animal received the nickname "sea devil" from European sailors and overgrown with a huge number of scary stories.