Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 火鼠, Hinonezumi, Fire Rat, Fire Mouse
Category: Rat
The Myth
Hinezumi, meaning “Fire Rat,” is an imaginary creature said to live within flames. Its legend originated in China and was introduced to Japan in ancient times. The name appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō, a Japanese dictionary compiled during the Heian period.
According to accounts cited in the Wakan Sansai Zue, fire rats inhabit fiery regions of the western lands and southern seas. They are said to dwell in mountains where wildfires burn during spring and summer before disappearing in autumn and winter. The creature is described as a large beast whose fur can be woven into a special fire-resistant fabric called huǒhuàn bù. This cloth does not burn, and when it becomes dirty, placing it in a fire is said to restore its whiteness.
The fire rat is particularly famous in Japan through The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Princess Kaguya asks her suitors to obtain a coat made from the Fire Rat’s fur. Minister Abe no Miushi pays a great sum to acquire one from China, but when Kaguya tests it in a fire, the garment burns to ashes. His failure reveals that the coat is a fake, exposing the impossibility of obtaining the legendary treasure.
Sources
“Hinezumi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1076766984.html