A sea animal referred to by the character for “crocodile” 鰐 plays a role in multiple episodes in the court myths of Kojiki (712) and Nihon shoki (720). The anomalous appearance of “crocodiles” off the Japanese coast has puzzled all commentators on these key texts, from Heian-period court scholars, via the Edo-period scholars of “National Studies,” to modern-day linguists. Their arguments have primarily focused on the question what kind of animal this might have been: a real crocodile, or a shark, or even a dragon? There has been less attention for the arguably more interesting question what the wani does. Can this elusive sea animal shed some light on the role of the sea in narratives of imperial power?