The Tsuchinoko is an unusual and mysterious snake/serpent-like creature with unusual abilities and powers.
This cryptid has been sighted across Japan for hundreds of years, but there is no concrete evidence of its existence.
Is it real or just a case of mistaken identity?
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What does a Tsuchinoko look like?
The Tsuchinoko is described as being 30 to 80 centimeters long.
The central circumference is much wider than the head or tail. It looks like a snake digesting a very big meal, it has also been described as looking like a beer bottle body.
It has a triangular head similar to a pit viper.
In Japan, the Tsuchinoko’s shape is described as similar to a horizontal mallet, which is a hammer used for straw beating.
It is said to have a brown or black body, with some reports of an orange/yellow belly.
The Tsuchinoko is said to be venomous.
So as you can see it’s a pretty unusual/distinctive creature.
The Tsuchinoko’s habitat
The Tsuchinoko is said to live in remote locations in most parts of Japan, including Shikoku, Honshu, and Kyushu (basically all over Japan except for Hokkaido), and is said even to reside on the Korean peninsula.
They live in mountainous forested areas, especially near a river or stream.
What does Tsuchinoko eat?
When the Tsuchinoko are young they eat frogs and mice, and as they grow rabbits come on to the menu.
They are occasionally reported to eat larger animals such as cats and dogs.
As described previously they aren’t big animals, but for their size, they can eat huge quantities of food.
Tsuchinoko’s are attracted to the smell of miso, dried squid, and burning hair (I haven’t been able to find out why – burning hair)
The Tsuchinoko’s special abilities.
The Tsuchinoko has some superpowers, well they are unusual for a snake, I think you will agree.
- They like the taste of alcohol, especially sake.
- They are surprisingly good swimmers
- The Tsuchinokocan make a wide range of sounds; squeals, shrieks, and chirps. These sounds are unnervingly made at night.
- They can imitate the native language of that area, and speak/communicate with the local people, but be wary they are said to tell lies.
- They can jump up to one meter into the air, then in midair, they can perform a further jump.
- They can spit venom from a distance (Yes, I know some normal snakes can do this.)
- I know not a superpower, but thought it was interesting that the Tsuchinoko snores while it is sleeping.
- As a way to get away from danger, or more likely to catch their prey such as a rabbit, the Tsuchinoko can swallow their own tail and roll like a wheel. So would be able to pick up speed downhill to surprise and catch their prey.
- They can also roll sideways like a log.
This superpower is not unique, the Hoop snake is a legendary snake of the United States, Canada, and Australia.
According to folklore, the Hoop snake can grip its tail in its mouth and roll after its prey, like a wheel, which is a very similar description to the Tsuchinoko.
The Hoop snake has an extra weapon, it’s said that as the Hoop snake catches up to its prey, it straightens out its whole body at the last minute, skewering its victim with its venomous tail. The only way to escape this grisly death is to hide behind a tree, the tree will receive the deadly strike.
Could the Tsuchinoko be real?
It would be easy to dismiss this snake with a beer bottle body with some amazing abilities and find a logical reason for the sightings of this cryptid.
- Some people suggest the Tsuchinoko is a case of mistaken identity, and is in fact a known species of a snake digesting a large meal.
- An escaped exotic pet, such as the blue-tongued lizard.
On the other hand, there is a long history, a similar description of a Tsuchinoko was first described in “Kojiki” an eighth-century book. “Kojiki” is one of the oldest books written in Japanese.
There is even a design on some pottery that depicts a snake that resembles the description of a Tsuchinoko.
This pottery was from the Jomon period which is the time in Japanese prehistory, traditionally dated between 14,000 – 300 BCE.
So there is evidence that the idea or even the flesh and blood snake has historical backing.
The Tsuchinoko in Modern Culture
The Tsuchinoko has gained popularity on social media. It has also appeared in many fantasy games, movies, and literature.
Video games have really grabbed it by its short tail and put it in many popular games, to name a few:
- Metal Gear
- Monster Hunter World
- Solid 3
- Pokemon
- Monster Strike
- Breath of Fire 3
Going on a Tsuchinoko hunt
If you fancy your chances of finding a Tsuchinoko and capturing it, you could get a big money reward.
Well, I’m not sure about it nowadays, but in the recent past, there were Tsuchinoko hunts. Here are some examples of past hunts.
Local tourist boards in rural areas used to organize Tsuchinoko hunts to attract visitors, promising large sums of money to anyone who could capture one.
The town of Itoigawa in Niigata prefecture held a hunt on June 8th, 2008 which they offered 100 million Yen (around one million dollars $) reward for an alive specimen of a Tsuchinoko.
Also, a town in Okayama prefecture offered a twenty million Yen (around $200,000) reward to anyone who could find and bring in alive Tsuchinoko, after no one claimed the reward, the reward was increased to a hundred million Yen to increase interest.
To date, the rewards haven’t been claimed.
Tsuchinoko Museum
In the smallest village in Gifu prefecture – Higashishirakawa you can find the only Tsuchinoko museum in Japan.
Most sightings of the Tsuchinoko have occurred at this village, the Tsuchinoko has been spotted here from the early Showa era.
In 1989 The Tsuchinoko Festa began, which included a Tsuchinoko hunt, with a reward of one million Yen, which has increased by Y10,000 every year, so the reward for alive Tsuchinoko stands around Y1,320,000 (around $12,000) in 2021.
The museum has exhibits recreated from local sightings.
So if you are in the area and want the best chance to see a Tsuchinoko and maybe claim the reward, the village of Higashishirakawa is a must-stop.
Final Thoughts
This cryptid snake of Japan could so easily be dismissed due to its strange appearance and special abilities, but it is mentioned in a book that is over 800 years old and depicted as artwork on pottery over a thousand years ago.
There have also been sightings over the years from all over Japan.
Could it be that this snake is a living, breathing creature, with maybe its abilities exaggerated over the centuries?
Whatever you believe the Tsuchinoko lives on in the Japanese Psyche, through sightings, organized hunts, and the interest on social media.
What do you think? please share your opinion.
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