The Mermaid Is Not a Princess but Long Life: Behind Japan's "Chiikawa: Secrets of Mermaid Island"
In the film Mermaid Island is a cute trap; in real Japanese legend mermaids were never especially cute, and what they govern is the heavier business of long life. From Yaobikuni of Wakasa to the "mermaid mummy" kept in Okayama, the same thread runs through both.