Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Nitouchū
Category: Insect
The Myth
Nitouchu is a strange insect described as resembling a cricket or caterpillar, with an unusual feature that sets it apart from ordinary insects: it has a head at both ends of its body. Its appearance is recorded in the Himeguni Sankai Roku, an illustrated book describing unusual insects found in different regions of Japan.
Despite its strange form, Nitouchu is specifically distinguished from a centipede. The surviving description provides no further details about its behaviour, habitat, size, or whether it was believed to possess any supernatural abilities.
The Himeguni Sankai Roku, completed around 1762 by Professor Minamiya, records twenty-five types of unusual insects accompanied by illustrations. Nitouchu is one of these curious creatures, although even the original author did not know exactly what kind of insect it was. Its identity and origins therefore remain uncertain.
Sources
“Nitouchu.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1021229162.html