Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 18th Century

Geographic Range: Mountainous regions, Japan

Diet: Fresh corpses

In Japanese Buddhism, Jikininki are hungry ghosts, spirits of those who were greedy or selfish in life and must now consume corpses as a form of punishment.

One of the most famous stories of Jikininki involves a solitary priest who turned away a young man seeking shelter for the night. The young man found lodging in a nearby village. While there, a burial rite was held for a recently deceased man, and the young man stayed in the cemetery after the villagers had left. After drifting off, he awoke to see a strange, shapeless figure devouring the freshly buried corpse. The next day, when he asked the villagers about the creature, they seemed unconcerned. Additionally, when he inquired about the priest, he was told that no priest had lived in that house before.

This classic "he's been dead for years" twist makes the tale of the Jikininki even more intriguing. When investigating this creature, it is advisable to use reliable recording equipment in cemeteries at night to capture concrete evidence.