The other night I was walking home at around 10:30 pm, and as I crossed a river I noticed a blue heron stalking frogs and fish in the dark water. It reminded me of a yokai called Aosagibi, or “blue heron fire,” and that is what I painted today.

Aosagibi occurs during the summer months near riversides. It’s a kind of phantom fire caused by herons and other water birds. When these birds reach an advanced age, their breast feathers fuse into reflective scales. Their breath begins to expel a yellowish powder, and on hot summer and autumn nights the powder ignites into brilliant blue flame. The birds’ feathers also begin to luminesce, giving an all-around eerie appearance to the creatures.

If you’ve ever been glared at by a huge heron mid-hunt, you know their sharp eyes can send chills down your spine. When they glow and spew blue fire too, well, it might just be time to run home!

The particular heron in this picture is a species called a “night heron.”

Aosagibi