Wani

Kanji: 鰐
Kana: わに
Pronunciation: wani

TRANSLATION: Sea dragon; later "shark" or "crocodile"
ALTERNATE NAMES: Sea Dragon; Wanizame; Kuma-wani
ORIGIN: Ancient period; Kojiki and Nihon Shoki chronicles

HABITAT: Sea; coral palaces on the ocean floor
DIET: Fish

ABILITIES:

• Tide control through the magical jewels kanju and manju
• Shapeshifting between sea-monster, dragon, and human form
• Rule over the oceans as gods of the sea
• Breathe both in air and in water

WEAKNESSES:

• Iron (folklore convention; not named in the primary chronicles)

OVERVIEW: Wani is an ancient Japanese sea dragon from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. It rules the oceans from coral palaces deep on the sea floor.

APPEARANCE: Wani has a long, serpentine body covered in scales and fins. The creature resembles a shark or crocodile, but Japanese art often shows it as a dragon. In the Hoori myth, Wani is eight fathoms long. The creature has fearsome teeth and a great jaw. Wani can also take the form of a noble human, like the sea-princess Toyotama-hime. The modern kanji 鰐 today refers to the crocodile, but the mythological Wani is a sea-serpent.

BEHAVIOR: Wani lives in splendid coral palaces under the sea. These creatures keep a court hierarchy of kings, queens, princes, and servants that matches the human world. Watatsumi, also called Ryujin, is the greatest Wani and rules from the palace Ryugu-jo. He controls the tides with the jewels kanju and manju. This noble sea-court also meets the surface world through marriage and royal escort.

INTERACTIONS: Wani sometimes marry into human royal families. Toyotama-hime married Prince Hoori and lived with him on land. During childbirth, Hoori looked at her true Wani form, and she returned to the sea in shame. Their grandson Jimmu became the first emperor of Japan. In the Nihon Shoki, a great Wani named Kuma-wani acts as a pilot for Emperor Chuai's ship. In the White Hare of Inaba tale, a line of Wani are tricked into making a bridge across the sea.

OTHER FORMS: Wani's true form is a giant sea-serpent. In Japanese art, it often appears as a dragon. The creature can take a human form, usually as a noble or royal figure. A larger, stronger variant called kuma-wani ("bear-wani") appears in the Nihon Shoki.