Yowiehunters Forum

Hi, I just joined the board today. I'm from Australia, but live in Japan. Originally I'm from around Young, NSW, but did live in Sydney and elsewhere for awhile.

For the past 15 years, I've lived in a countryside-fringe-of-town sort of area in Shiga prefecture, which across the mountains from Kyoto. There's still a lot of forest around here.

My wife, kids, and I have seen a lot of strange things around here too. Including the Japanese version of "bigfoot", which my wife called by the old name of "Yamahito". Currently they're popularly called by media as "hibagon", but the media have turned it all into a joke and there's too much fakery going on. Nevertheless, my wife and I saw one for real once while driving through Fukui prefecture several years ago.

Welcome to AYR!

I'd never heard that name, Yamahito, I'll have to look it up. I think the whole 'comedic' tone the media takes is an attempt to defuse serious consideration of the topic, the same as it is here in Australia and elsewhere. I guess it helps them get ratings/sales and serves the agenda of whomever it is that doesn't want people seriously investigating the issue (or doesn't want those who do investigate to be taken seriously).

Thanks for the welcome.

The only videos I've seen so far of "hibagon" are obviously some fool in a gorilla suit with extensions on the calf-foot part of the suit. TV networks engage in this annoying nonsense and try to pass it off as real, obviously discrediting true discussion of the topic. They turn the paranormal into cheap entertainment, stuff for talk shows and docudramas.

My wife called what we actually saw as "yamahito". We were driving from Shiga prefecture to Fukui prefecture, just passed the technical border into Fukui, with forest on both sides of the road. Our two young children were in the back of our car, both asleep. It was a mountainous/hilly region too. This dark raggedy hairy-furry humanoid strode across the two-lane road in unusually fast long steps, only maybe 20-30 metres in front of our car. Very smoothly, the creature went into the forest on the other side of the road without a pause, and seemed to disappear like a ghost. It didn't walk like a human, but it's hard to describe the walk. Initially, we wondered if we'd seen a ghost and not something material, it was so quick and smooth. It wasn't enormous, but was taller than me, I'd guess, only slightly more than 2 metres. I don't know why, but I had the impression it was female. The incident was over in mere seconds. I've never seen another creature like it since.

We've seen other weirdness in this area, including species that are supposed to (officially) be extinct, and things that I honestly never expected to be anything other than utterly mythical. I'll describe them more on the other parts of the forum where's more appropriate.

do you still remember name of the road?

Just curious and wanna see from google map.

Japan got very high population density though.

OnlyTheGhosts wrote:Thanks for the welcome.

The only videos I've seen so far of "hibagon" are obviously some fool in a gorilla suit with extensions on the calf-foot part of the suit. TV networks engage in this annoying nonsense and try to pass it off as real, obviously discrediting true discussion of the topic. They turn the paranormal into cheap entertainment, stuff for talk shows and docudramas.

My wife called what we actually saw as "yamahito". We were driving from Shiga prefecture to Fukui prefecture, just passed the technical border into Fukui, with forest on both sides of the road. Our two young children were in the back of our car, both asleep. It was a mountainous/hilly region too. This dark raggedy hairy-furry humanoid strode across the two-lane road in unusually fast long steps, only maybe 20-30 metres in front of our car. Very smoothly, the creature went into the forest on the other side of the road without a pause, and seemed to disappear like a ghost. It didn't walk like a human, but it's hard to describe the walk. Initially, we wondered if we'd seen a ghost and not something material, it was so quick and smooth. It wasn't enormous, but was taller than me, I'd guess, only slightly more than 2 metres. I don't know why, but I had the impression it was female. The incident was over in mere seconds. I've never seen another creature like it since.

We've seen other weirdness in this area, including species that are supposed to (officially) be extinct, and things that I honestly never expected to be anything other than utterly mythical. I'll describe them more on the other parts of the forum where's more appropriate.

Thanks for the post.
Have you considered sending your experience to Sasquatch Chronicles or Bigfoot Eyewitness Radio?
I am sure they would love to have a report from Japan.

micathia wrote:do you still remember name of the road?

Just curious and wanna see from google map.

Japan got very high population density though.

I don't recall the name of the road, I'll ask my wife about that. It's a popular route that way, if you don't want to pay highway tollgate fees (which were more common at that time).

The "Japan is crowded" idea is mostly a myth. Most of this archipelago is green, heavily forested, mountainous, and the cities are built only on the flat plains. Japan's population is only high density in urban areas, not outside them. Very urbanised population, but almost nobody wants to live in the mountains. Japanese avoid building homes in the mountainous areas because of the danger of landslides during typhoon season and due to earth tremors. Also, the mountains are considered the territory of the gods. Shiga and Fukui prefectures have low populations as well. Most of the highways, and railways in this part of Japan are only a few decades old. The nearest town to where I live (Hiyoshidai) didn't even exist 30 years ago. People used to take a ferry to get to the small city of Omi-Takashima because there was no road past the mountains to get there unless you want to walk through the forest like a monk. In our area, we often see monkeys and deer come down from the mountains looking for food. People can still get attacked by bears while visiting a shrine if they're unlucky and unwise, so it's a good idea to at least bring a stick.

Wolf wrote:

OnlyTheGhosts wrote:Thanks for the welcome.

The only videos I've seen so far of "hibagon" are obviously some fool in a gorilla suit with extensions on the calf-foot part of the suit. TV networks engage in this annoying nonsense and try to pass it off as real, obviously discrediting true discussion of the topic. They turn the paranormal into cheap entertainment, stuff for talk shows and docudramas.

My wife called what we actually saw as "yamahito". We were driving from Shiga prefecture to Fukui prefecture, just passed the technical border into Fukui, with forest on both sides of the road. Our two young children were in the back of our car, both asleep. It was a mountainous/hilly region too. This dark raggedy hairy-furry humanoid strode across the two-lane road in unusually fast long steps, only maybe 20-30 metres in front of our car. Very smoothly, the creature went into the forest on the other side of the road without a pause, and seemed to disappear like a ghost. It didn't walk like a human, but it's hard to describe the walk. Initially, we wondered if we'd seen a ghost and not something material, it was so quick and smooth. It wasn't enormous, but was taller than me, I'd guess, only slightly more than 2 metres. I don't know why, but I had the impression it was female. The incident was over in mere seconds. I've never seen another creature like it since.

We've seen other weirdness in this area, including species that are supposed to (officially) be extinct, and things that I honestly never expected to be anything other than utterly mythical. I'll describe them more on the other parts of the forum where's more appropriate.

Thanks for the post.
Have you considered sending your experience to Sasquatch Chronicles or Bigfoot Eyewitness Radio?
I am sure they would love to have a report from Japan.

I only wrote about it here because I'm an Aussie - who just happens to live in Japan and saw this stuff.

micathia,

I've discussed the incident with my wife. I was driving at the time, but she was acting as our navigator. The road is called 367-gosen, and the nearest town was Kutsuki, which is close to the border between Fukui prefecture and Shiga prefecture, but actually on the Shiga side (my mistake, I thought we'd already crossed into Fukui prefecture). We were in an area with deep forest on both sides of the road.

Welcome OTG

Fascinating report, as I have zero knowledge of there being a Japanese hominid, because I've never looked it up, haha, but seriously this sighting would have to have had an impact on you both at the time. Thanks for sharing, would like to know more if you have any other information to impart.

Shazz

Shazzoir wrote:Welcome OTG

Fascinating report, as I have zero knowledge of there being a Japanese hominid, because I've never looked it up, haha, but seriously this sighting would have to have had an impact on you both at the time. Thanks for sharing, would like to know more if you have any other information to impart.

Shazz

Yes it certainly did surprise us. My wife and I both wondered if we'd seen some kind of raggedy hairy ghost. The creature crossed the road so smoothly, so fast, almost as if floating instead of the up and down bobbing of a human stepping across or running. It did not seem to be running, but the strides were inhumanly long and fast.

Is there not a continent or island where the hairy ones don't roam !!!!

OnlyTheGhosts wrote:

Shazzoir wrote:Welcome OTG

Fascinating report, as I have zero knowledge of there being a Japanese hominid, because I've never looked it up, haha, but seriously this sighting would have to have had an impact on you both at the time. Thanks for sharing, would like to know more if you have any other information to impart.

Shazz

Yes it certainly did surprise us. My wife and I both wondered if we'd seen some kind of raggedy hairy ghost. The creature crossed the road so smoothly, so fast, almost as if floating instead of the up and down bobbing of a human stepping across or running. It did not seem to be running, but the strides were inhumanly long and fast.

Perfect comment for the Paranormal vs Flesh and Blood - an occultist's perspective. Accurate description of a levitating Bigfoot or Japanese equivalent.