Mukade

Mukade is a poisonous centipede in Japan. Mukade belongs to Scolopendridae family, which refers to the poisonous centipede species.

They are often referred to in Japanese literature as a symbols of darkness and evil.

For example in Tanizaki's "Yume no hashi", bite of mukade kills the narrator's mother.

Their reputation is well deserved. These centipedes climb to walls, and sometimes drop on to victim. Although few accidents are reported, some of the mukade species contain so much poison that a bite to neck can kill adult human being. Also they have nasty tendency to crawl to human body cavities, such as nose or ear when subject is sleeping.

Mukade eats cockroaches and flies and spiders. They are predators with amazingly fast movement. They might lay still for long time, and when disturbed they move swiftly. When killing them one should be careful, because if you cut them in half, the biting end might attack you. It is necessary to hit the head.

Mukade lives in dark and moist places, such as in kitchen sink sewer. They are said to live up to seven years.

There are many interesting folklore and beliefs about the mukade in Japan. It is said for example that to kill them you must burn them, otherwise they might come back to life and revenge you. There is also story that during the Kanto earthquake, earth opened up and they broke free from the depths of hell and escaped on earth.

Comments

Mukade are scary! >-(

When I lived in Japan, one once tried to bite me.

I was walking down a street in Gifu City to visit some friends, the castle and the museum when it crossed my path and jumped at my leg. I jumped out of the way, looked at what it was as it crawled up the steps of a house, and upon realizing what it was, ran away. Later, I saw another one in a tree, but it was eaten by a green lizard.
#1 - Fisher - 03/03/2009 - 19:29
Mukade are not a type of poisonous japanese centipede. Mukade is the japanese word FOR centipede! Most Japanese people dont know that there are different species or that some arent poisonous, or that other countries have the same creature, so it adds to the confusion.
So any centipede in the world can be described as mukade.
#2 - Strango - 07/07/2009 - 08:45
I just caught one in my bed and torched it over my gas range. Back to love with you!
#3 - Shinigami - 08/14/2009 - 23:33
Disambiguation
Strango: Though "Mukade" is the japanese word for Centipede, using the term "Mukade" in Japan only has one connotation: the large, poisonous centipede found more often in the southern half of the coutry. I have watch japanese people freak out the same way you would see a New Yorker react to mention of cockroaches. Mukade are dangerous enough to kill small children, and even adults if they bite near or on a vein.
#4 - Pious Heathen - 11/28/2009 - 02:24
Not so fast
1. All centipede are mukade
2. All centipede are venomous
3. Genrally none of them is fatal to humans
4. There are different names for different mukade in Japanese
#5 - mp - 07/23/2010 - 22:22
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Japanese Insects | See also: Semi, akatombo, kabutomushi, hotaru, gokiburi, mukade

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