Tradition / Region: Japanese mythology
Alternate Names: Yamajijii, Yamachiji, Yamajichi
Category: Mountain dweller
The Myth
Deep in the mountains of Shikoku, travelers speak in hushed voices of an old man who belongs not to any village, but to the wilderness itself. He is called Yamajiji—the Mountain Old Man—and those who meet him rarely forget the encounter.
Yamajiji appears as a tall, gaunt elder, sometimes with only a single eye and a single arm or leg, though some say he has two eyes, one so small it is barely visible. He wanders the deep forests, watching those who trespass into his domain. It is said that he can read human thoughts as easily as hearing spoken words, answering questions before they are asked and revealing secrets people believed were hidden in their hearts.
Many tales warn of his cruelty. Yamajiji may harm travelers or horses, mislead them deeper into the mountains, or disguise himself as a spider to slip unseen into a home. In some stories, he lives alongside a Yamauba, and if Yamajiji is defeated or killed, the mountain hag will later appear to avenge him, stalking the one who dared challenge the mountain’s master.
His voice is feared above all. When Yamajiji shouts, leaves fall from the trees as if struck by a storm, stones tremble, and the forest itself seems to recoil. In one well-known tale, a man lost in the mountains was challenged by Yamajiji to a contest of shouting. Knowing he could not match such a voice, the man waited until his turn, raised his gun, and fired it beside Yamajiji’s ear. The thunderous blast sent the mountain spirit reeling, and the man escaped while Yamajiji raged in confusion.
Yet the story does not always end there. In some versions, Yamajiji later returns in another form—often as a spider—seeking revenge for the trick played upon him.
Thus Yamajiji remains a figure of warning and dread: a living embodiment of the mountains themselves, ancient, watchful, and dangerous to those who enter his realm without caution or respect.
Gallery
Sources
TYZ-Yokai Blog contributors. (n.d.). 山爺 (Yamajiji). In TYZ-Yokai Blog, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077741578.html
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