Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Pheasant Eater
Category: Insect
The Myth
Kijikui is a strange monster recorded in the Edo-period work Himeguni Sankai Roku. It resembles a giant snail, with a spotted shell and a blue neck protruding from its opening. Despite its unusual body and apparent lack of legs, the creature is described as remarkably agile and capable of moving at extraordinary speed.
According to the account, the monster was witnessed in 1726 by a man named Heitayu from Fukasawa Village in Chikugo Province. He encountered it in a valley, where it chased down and captured a wild pheasant. When the creature noticed the presence of a human, it fled towards a cave with the speed of the wind. It disappeared inside, and its whereabouts remained unknown.
The name Kijikui, meaning “Pheasant Eater,” was not given to the creature in the original account. It was assigned later by Susumu Zenyoji in his 2015 book Edo no Yōkai Zukan (Illustrated Scroll of Edo’s Monsters).
There is some uncertainty surrounding the creature’s depiction. A neighbouring entry in Himeguni Sankai Roku describes a monster from Chikugo Province during the Kan’en era, with a tortoiseshell-like covering, possibly the remains of a snail, and a large pattern on its shell. However, the illustration associated with Kijikui makes it difficult to identify such a pattern. This raises the possibility that the illustrations and descriptions were accidentally placed in the wrong order during the compilation or copying of the work.
Despite these uncertainties, Kijikui remains a curious creature in Japanese monster lore: a snail-like predator capable of catching pheasants and vanishing into a cave with astonishing speed, even though its illustrated body appears poorly suited to running.
Sources
“Kijiku.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077606809.html