Konaki-jiji
If you come across a crying baby on a dark road, you should suspect it to be the Konaki-jiji (Crying Old Man). It is said that when you pick it up, its weight gradually increases until it eventually crushes the person holding it.
Regions and Locations Associated with This Yokai
Tokushima Prefecture / Mountainous Areas
Excerpts from the books of Kunio Yanagita
This creature is said to reside deep in the mountains. It appears in the form of an old man but makes the sound of a crying infant. When someone pityingly picks it up, it suddenly becomes unbearably heavy and clings on so tightly that it is impossible to release. Eventually, it is said to take the person’s life.
