Kiso Valley

A depiction of the hihi based on Edo-period images and folklore. Said to dwell in mountains, it is an aged monkey transformed into a giant, powerfully built being. Many regions tell that it bursts into loud laughter, and when its long upturned lips roll back to cover its eyes, it leaves an opening to strike. Tales include the abduction of women, bouts with woodcutters, and raising wind and storm to hurl people. Natural history compendia such as Wakan Sansai Zue report black hair, large size, and hearsay of human speech, though exact locales and physical evidence remain uncertain. Its name is commonly linked to its laugh. It is sometimes conflated with yama-warawa or monkey deities, but is often distinguished as an ape-shaped mountain monster.

Based on Edo-period sources, this depicts an old bear transformed into a yokai. It usually keeps to deep mountains and avoids human presence, but during famines or seasonal shifts it slips down to villages under cover of night to carry off livestock. Its upright gait can be mistaken for a human silhouette, and its tracks mingle human and bear prints. Tales of great strength tie it to local megalith lore, serving as an unspoken boundary marker for dangerous mountain zones. In slaying legends, communal coordination, selective use of hunting tools, and reverence for the mountain deity are emphasized, and the Oni-Bear is told as more than a mere beast—a symbol that brings calamity to those who break the laws of the mountain. Descriptions in early modern illustrated compilations heighten its uncanny nature while reflecting memories of real bear attacks, showing the intersection of folk environment and ghostly tale.