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.
