In the heart of Japan, at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, an enigmatic project is underway. Scientists are delving deep into the mysteries of what is being whispered about as the “mermaid mummy.”
By the autumn of 2022, they hope to unveil the secrets this being holds.
Back in 2018, whispers spread about Japanese researchers studying a unique, mummified entity often referred to as the “Loch Ness Phantom” from the Scottish waters. It was a discovery that drew gasps, having been found on the misty shores of Loch Ness by a pair of young locals. Its age made it nearly the most ancient relic in Scotland.
This “Loch Ness Phantom” is speculated to be from the lineage of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, boasting teeth remarkably similar to modern-day humans, suggesting it met its end about 130,000 years ago, in the icy grip of the ice age.
More recently, the corridors of Japanese academia are buzzing with another revelation. This time, from the depths of the ancient Baltic Sea, they’ve retrieved a mummy with a peculiar aura, known amongst hushed circles as the “Mermaid Mummy.” With her aquatic appendages and piscine visage, she’s become the subject of study at the Aichi Prefectural University in Nagoya. The aim? To decipher clues about early human aquatic settlements.
Many hypothesize she might be a creature predating our kind, Homo sapiens, or perhaps one of the first of our kind to make the water’s edge her home, only to be shrouded in volcanic ash and later entombed.
In a secluded cave, a woman’s remains, eerily preserved and radiating ancient secrets, caught the eye of Japanese scientists. They’ve named her the “Mermaid Mummy” due to her almost ethereal, aquatic complexion and her cascading tresses. Yet, her true identity remains an enigma, as only fragments of her essence remain.
Hiroshi Kinoshita, a luminary from the Okayama Folklore Society, played the catalyst. Having learned of this mummified enigma’s resting place, he beckoned both the temple holding the relic and the university’s best minds to investigate. The inspiration? A haunting image of the mermaid mummy that he chanced upon in the writings of Kiyoaki Sato, a chronicler of Japan’s rich tapestry of myths and supernatural tales.
Taking the helm of this intricate exploration is Professor Takafumi Kato from Kurashiki University, a maestro in paleontology. While he’s been part of many enigmatic projects, this marks his inaugural delve into the domain of mythic creatures. Reports from the Japanese media in February 2022 unveiled that this so-called “mermaid mummy” has been the centerpiece of numerous tales, often oscillating between reverence and terror.
Kozen Kuida, the spiritual custodian of the Enjuin temple, in an atmospheric ceremony in February 2022, unveiled the artifact, which was a mere 30 centimeters but held millennia of secrets. Legend says this mermaid was entrapped in fishing nets between 1736 and 1741 near what we now recognize as the Kochi Prefecture. It’s as if the mermaid’s silent scream is forever etched in time, with her hands frozen near her mouth, the scales on her tail shimmering, and her humanoid features unmistakably clear.
The saga of the mermaid mummy promises revelations and perhaps answers to some of our most haunting questions. But as the researchers inch closer, the lines between myth and reality blur.
