Hibagon: Japan's 1970s Sasquatch-like Cryptid Explored

Ever heard of Japan's answer to Sasquatch? A recent podcast episode dives deep into the legend of the Hibagon, a cryptid that has fascinated researchers for decades. If you're into hairy hominids from around the world, this one's a must-listen. The Hibagon gets its name from Mount Hiba in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, where the majority of sightings occurred during the 1970s. Witnesses describe a five to six-foot-tall ape-like creature covered in blackish-brown bristly fur, with a large head and weighing around 180 pounds. Think Sasquatch, but with a slightly more monkey-like vibe. What's particularly interesting is that Japan has no native great apes. The only ape species found in Japan is the macaque, those famous snow monkeys you see lounging in hot springs. So where did this creature come from? That's part of the mystery. The landscape around Mount Hiba is perfect for a cryptid to hide in. Dense forests, small farming communities, and plenty of wildlife make it the kind of place where something unusual could easily disappear without a trace. Most sightings centered around the foothills town of Saijo rather than the mountain itself. The legend really kicked off in the summer of 1970 with a cluster of encounters that happened within just days of each other. On July 20th, a local man named Yoshitaka Musaki was driving his truck near the Rokurokuno Haru Dam around 8 PM when something calf-sized and ape-like suddenly crossed the road in front of him before vanishing into the vegetation. When investigators checked the area, they found disturbed plants, though no clear footprints were recovered. Just three days later on July 23rd, a farmer named Minoru Kondo was cutting grass early in the morning when he heard a strange roar. A face peered out from the vegetation, and when Kondo tried to scare it away, the creature just stared back at him. Freaked out, Kondo ran home. Investigators later found tall grass knocked down in the area. Then on July 30th, another witness spotted what looked like a person walking between rice fields while heading to a sluice gate to water the crops around 8 PM. These back-to-back encounters in the same general area, all involving something hiding in vegetation and leaving similar disturbances, really started making the legend feel more real to locals. Two independent witnesses, same general behavior, same type of mark left behind. That's the kind of pattern that gets researchers' attention. The Hibagon sightings tapered off after the 1970s, but the legend has endured as one of Japan's most famous cryptid mysteries. Some researchers have suggested it could have been an escaped exotic animal, while others wonder if it could be a surviving hominid species unknown to science. The cultural context matters too, since Japan has a long history of yōkai folklore and stories of strange creatures inhabiting the mountains. The hosts also mentioned they're heading to the WNC Bigfoot convention in Marion soon, so keep an eye out for them if you're in the area. Definitely worth checking out the full episode for more details on this fascinating case. They go into even more depth on the sightings and the cultural context surrounding the legend.