Demon of the Week 008

A jikininki finishes off his meal.

Jikininki (食人鬼, "human-eating ghosts"; pronounced shokujinki in modern Japanese) are the leftover spirits of greedy, selfish or impious individuals who are forever cursed to seek out and feed upon human corpses. They do this under cover of night, scavenging for bodies and stealing the offerings left out for the newly deceased. Sometimes the jikininki also loot the corpses they eat for valuables, which they may use to bribe local officials to leave them in peace.

For however evil their deeds may seem, Jikininki actually lament their condition and hate their repugnant cravings for dead human flesh. Often, jikininki are said to look like decomposing cadavers, perhaps with a few inhuman features such as sharp claws or glowing eyes. However, several stories describe their the ability to magically disguise themselves as normal human beings, and even to lead normal lives by day.

So keep an eye on your new neighbor, just to be certain they aren't lying in wait for the old woman in the top floor apartment to croak.