A semi-legendary figure, Prince Shotoku was revered for his many political and cultural innovations, most notably for encouraging the spread of Buddhism in Japan.The creature was once a fisherman who had trespassed to fish in protected waters, as punishment he had been transformed into a ningyo and with his dying breaths called upon the prince to absolve him of his crimes.The mermaid asked the prince to found a temple to display his horrible, mummified body to remind people about the sanctity of life.
A report that scientists have begun tests on a 300-year-old “mermaid mummy” to identify its origins, has stimulated an interest in the existence of mermaids in Japanese folklore.