The Japanese folk tale of ‘doomsday fish’

Another tale in Japanese folklore mentions the appearance of the “doomsday fish” off of Kumamoto. This one was a beast, measuring almost 60 feet. It had two horns, purple scales, six fins, a goldfish-like tail and held three jewels. The oarfish said that it had come from Dragon Palace. It then warned people of “a severe epidemic of a great evil illness, and the sick will not be saved.” It said that it had come to save lives, and everyone who heard the message was “sure to be spared from the disease.”