NazoMap Encyclopedia of Yokai, Cryptids, Urban Legends & Ancient Mysteries 日本語
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Takitaro

Takitaro

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Takitaro

タキタロウ

Cryptids

A giant-fish cryptid said to live in Lake Otori in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. There are sightings of fish over 2 meters long, and surveys have been carried out many times. The leading theory is that it is an unusually large char or similar fish.

Also known asTakitarou, Giant fish of Lake Otori
Era / first recordedWidely known in the Showa era
OriginJapan
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Originally written in Japanese. 日本語版を読む (the Japanese page also has rankings and comments).

What is Takitaro?

Takitaro is a giant fish said to live in Lake Otori in the Asahi mountains, deep in the mountains of Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. Long told of locally, it is said to be 1 to 2 meters long, with some sightings reporting up to 3 meters.

Lake Otori and the sightings

Lake Otori is a mountain lake at about 960 meters above sea level, cut off by deep snow in winter. In the late Showa era, TV crews and local volunteers carried out surveys many times, and it was reported that large fish shadows were caught on a fish finder. A mountain hut on site tells the story of Takitaro, and it is well known to hikers.

What is Takitaro really?

Most of the large fish caught in Lake Otori are char, and the leading theory is that Takitaro is a char or other salmonid that has lived long and grown large. However, no fish over 2 meters has been confirmed, and Takitaro lives on as a legend.

Takitaro: Legend & Sighting Locations

  • Lake Otori Tsuruoka, Yamagata · Legend · Showa era

Please note Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.

Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth

Please note The contents of this site introduce legends, eyewitness accounts and theories; they do not guarantee that anything described is true. The stats are our own rough guide. Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.

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