For the overwhelming majority of people in Japan, the tsuchinoko, a creature resembling a fat snake that has never been conclusively confirmed as real, does not exist.But a new documentary film to be screened in Tokyo from Saturday is asking audiences to reflect on what changing beliefs in the cryptid, which has shapeshifted from folklore tale to trophy-hunt animal to fictional regional attraction, tell us about how the country has changed since the mid-20th century.Its director, Tomoki Imai, specializes in documentaries exploring how rural communities' customs are shaped. A native of Gifu …READ FULL ARTICLE
