KONAKI-JIJI

Lore

Konaki-Jiji is a yokai notorious for its sly and treacherous tactics, preying on the compassion of unsuspecting travelers. Unlike many creatures of folklore, its sole aim is to lure a kindhearted passerby into a deadly trap.

In the most widespread tale, Konaki-Jiji masquerades as a crying infant deep within a remote woodland. The wail echoes with heart‑rending desperation—an unmistakable plea for help. But there is one glaring inconsistency: such isolated spots are highly unlikely places for infants. Anyone venturing through these woods should be instantly suspicious. Yet if a traveler, moved by sympathy, picks up the child, it grows steadily heavier until it weighs as much as stone. Before long, the victim is utterly crushed beneath the yokai’s increasing mass.