Heikegani

By Crusader1307

An interesting tale, The actual Sea Crab species known as The Heikegani are unique to Japanese waters. The species have a top shell (exoskeleton), which resembles that of a human face! And which much of this could be well attributed to the phenomenon known as Pareidolia, one can easily see the ''resemblance''. Local Fishermen have a tradition by which if they catch the crab, they will release it back into the Sea. Why? Simple...Fisherman will tell you that it is in reality the Spirit of a dishonored Samurai Warrior. According to Legend, in the 12th Century AD – an epic battle between Japanese Clans for control over The Island Kingdom, resulted in an ending of typical fashion....Winner and Loser. The Losers, as Samurai and bound by The Code of Bushido, decided to commit suicide in an usual fashion to avoid capture. They, and their their young Emperor-Prentender, all jumped into The Sea and drowned. It is said that their Spirits took on the form of The Heikegani Crab, their face forever in anger and etched onto their shell.