Akkorokamui

Akkorokamui is a gigantic octopus-like monster from Ainu folklore, similar to the Nordic kraken. The Ainu people, who live in Hokkaido, Japan, tell stories about this amazing creature. According to these stories, Akkorokamui lives deep in Uchiura Bay in Hokkaido.

People say that Akkorokamui's body can become extremely large — as big as one hectare, which is about 110,000 square feet, or roughly 100 metres (330 feet) across. These amazing tales show how the Ainu people have shared wonderful stories about powerful creatures for many years.

Nomenclature

In the Ainu language, the word for octopus is at-koro-guru, which means "something which has thin strands". This connects to the name at-kor-kamuy, meaning a special spirit with many tentacles.

The monster is sometimes written in kanji as 大章魚, which usually means "giant octopus". Another Ainu word for octopus is atuina, meaning "sea-ritual decor". Stories about this creature have been shared for many years, sometimes called atui-na and sometimes akkorokamui.

Legend

The akkoro kamuy is a giant octopus from old stories, known as the ruler of Funka Bay, also called Uchiura Bay. Legends say it can grow as big as one hectare, which is about 110,000 square feet, and it was thought to be able to swallow whole ships.

There are different tales about how this monster came to be. One story says it was once a huge spider that caused trouble in a village. People asked the sea god Repun Kamuy for help, and the spider was turned into the giant octopus we hear about today. Another story tells of a goddess who lost a special piece of clothing in the sea, and it changed into the octopus. No matter the story, the akkoro kamuy was seen as a powerful and fearsome creature.

Rātoshikamui

A giant octopus named Rātoshikamui appears in Ainu stories. It means "many-tailed god" in the Ainu language. This octopus was said to be the strongest creature in the sea.

According to old tales from the Ishikari area, the Rātoshikamui once met another powerful creature, the huri kamui, a giant bird that ruled the land. They fought to see who was stronger. The octopus sprayed ink and tried to pull the bird into the water, while the bird tried to lift the octopus out. Neither could win, and they ended in a draw. This struggle gave the area around the Ishikari River its name.

Similar creatures

Funka Bay is home to tales of another giant sea creature called the atuy kakura, a special kind of sea cucumber also known as fujiko. Legends say this sea cucumber turned into its form after a woman's clothing fell into the water. It uses its mouth to hold onto floating wood and can sometimes flip over fishing boats that get too close.

Another story tells of the atuy kor ekas, a giant red monster said to live near Muroran and capable of swallowing whole ships. There's also the repun ekas, a huge sea monster said to eat whales. In one story, two fishermen were swallowed by this monster but managed to start a fire inside it, which made the monster spit them out. After their adventure, the men's hair fell out and they became bald.

In Shinto

The giant monster Akkorokamui from Ainu folklore has become a minor part of Shinto beliefs, where it is seen as a spirit called a kami. Though it can help heal and share knowledge, it is also known to be unpredictable and sometimes harmful. Many shrines in Japan honor Akkorokamui and other sea spirits.

People who honor Akkorokamui often give it gifts like fish and shellfish because it loves the sea. They believe that by showing respect to Akkorokamui, especially for problems with their bodies or minds, they may receive healing, particularly for injuries or marks on the body.

In popular culture

In the Bob's Burgers episode "Flu-ouise", some of Louise Belcher's toys are named after famous creatures from Japanese stories, including an octopus called Akkoro Kamui. These toys come to life in a dream Louise has when she's sick, and Akkoro Kamui even sounds like Louise's mom, Linda. The toys also appear in The Bob's Burgers Movie.