THE BIGFOOT OF HIROSHIMA: When Japan Had Its Own Sasquatch Fever (1970-1975)
THE BIGFOOT OF HIROSHIMA: When Japan Had Its Own Sasquatch Fever (1970-1975)  
Podcast: Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories
Published On: Sun Sep 28 2025
Description: In the summer of 1970, a truck driver's encounter with an ape-like creature walking upright on a mountain road sparked "Hibagon fever" across Japan, transforming the sleepy town of Saijo into ground zero for a five-year cryptid hunt complete with government-paid bounties, dedicated officials, and media chaos. Though the 1.6-meter tall, gorilla-bodied beast was never caught or photographed despite 29 official sightings, Hibagon's legacy lives on in the community it put on the map, with locals still believing their mysterious visitor is living peacefully somewhere deep in the mountains.Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateTake the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/surveyIN THIS EPISODE: Learning of other races and cultures has been something man has sought knowledge of ever since they first discovered other races and cultures existed. But that’s the thing – you have to know those races and cultures existed in the first place. And there is one race known as the Oghar that very few know about – and it has been practically wiped from history. (Mystery of the Oghars) *** Lakes are often scenes of brutal crimes and dumping ground for murder victims, but you don’t often hear of the lake itself being the murderer. But one lake killed 1,700 people… in a single night. (The Lake Exploded) *** Imagine moving into a new home only to realize it already has a resident ghost living there – but not only that, but the ghost enjoys having full-blown two-way conversations with you through the walls. (The Beastie In The Walls) *** In 1593, a Spanish soldier named Gil Pérez claimed he traveled over 9,000 miles in just a few seconds. Supposedly he disappeared in Manila and appeared in Mexico. Is there any truth to the story, or evidence to back up his claim? (The Man Who Teleported) *** If you are a fan of the Neverglades Mysteries series that I’ve been releasing once in a while on Creepypasta Thursdays, then you’ll want to listen through the end of the Chamber of Comments because there’s a little piece of news about the Neverglades you might like to hear. *** A strange sighting took place in 1970 in Hiroshima Prefecture – and the way it’s described, it sounds like Japan might have it’s very own Sasquatch! And now, decades later – that beast might save the town it was spotted in. (The Bigfoot of Hiroshima)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:30.029 = Bigfoot of Hiroshima00:10:38.746 = Mystery of the Oghars00:18:22.669 = The Lake Exploded00:24:04.561 = Beastie In The Walls00:32:17.118 = The Man Who Teleported00:36:57.457 = Show CloseSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Bigfoot of Hiroshima” by Kohei Higashitani for The Asahi Shimbun: https://tinyurl.com/yxumxbju“Mystery of the Oghars” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y54y8pl8“The Lake Exploded” by Christina Skelton: https://tinyurl.com/y52q8l37“The Beastie In The Walls” posted at Fortean Ireland: https://tinyurl.com/y5bxyfx8“The Man Who Teleported” by Paolo Chua for Esquire Magazine: https://tinyurl.com/y3ez3aox=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: October 09, 2020EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/HiroshimaBigfootABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#Cryptids #JapaneseFolklore #Bigfoot #UnexplainedMysteries #Japan