Statue of Issie |
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| Creature | |
|---|---|
| Grouping | Cryptid |
| Sub grouping | Lake monster |
| Data | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Lake Ikeda, Kyushu Island |
| Habitat | Water |
Issie (イッシー Isshī) is a legendary Japanese lake monster; said to lurk in Lake Ikeda, on Kyushu Island. It is described as being saurian in appearance. The name is formed in analogy with "Nessie" (the Loch Ness Monster).
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According to mythology, Issie was a white mare which had a little foal, and they lived together on the shore of Lake Ikeda. However, when the foal was kidnapped by a samurai, and Issie was unable to find it, she jumped into the lake, and her despair transformed her into a giant, saurian beast, which since then frequently surfaces, trying to find her lost child.
The creature was reportedly photographed in 1978, by a man who went by the name "Mr. Matsubara". Twenty other people reportedly also saw the creature in 1978, which they described as as black and about 5 meters long, swimming in the lake water.[1] In 1991, another visitor to the lake caught video footage supposedly of a bizarre-looking creature estimated to be 30 meters in length.
In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Issie is revealed to be the larva Mothra, who cocoons into an adult.