Shidaidaka
In its own language: 次第高
A tall spirit in Japan that grows when you look up and shrinks when you look down.
The Shidaidaka is a humanoid yōkai from the Chūgoku region of Japan. It appears on roads and changes height based on where the observer looks. Practitioners believe looking down makes it vanish.
- It is a humanoid yokai from Japan's Chūgoku region.
- Looking up at it makes it grow taller.
- Looking down makes it shrink and disappear.
- It is a type of mikoshi-nyudo.
- One tale says it is the boss of nekomata cats.
What it is
The Shidaidaka is a humanoid spirit found in Japanese folklore, specifically within the Chūgoku region. It is classified as a type of mikoshi-nyūdō, linking it to other tall monk-like yokai such as the taka-nyūdō and nyūdō-bōzu. This entity is known for its unique physical reaction to human gaze. When a person sees the creature and looks upward, the Shidaidaka grows taller. If the observer looks downward, the spirit becomes shorter. This behavior creates a dangerous situation if one fails to manage their line of sight.
Where it comes from
Legends about the Shidaidaka are recorded in Tottori Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, and Okayama Prefecture. Specific locations include Niyomiya, Atoichi, Tsunozu, Iwakuni, Asa District, Abu District, Sakurae, Ōchi District, Kawato, and Matsukawa. In Hazumi, there is a tale suggesting the creature can be killed with a single bullet left over from a hunt. Another story from Matsukawa claims the Shidaidaka is the boss of nekomata cats, revealing a feline form when hunted.
How it is done
Survival depends entirely on eye movement. If a Shidaidaka appears, one must never look up at it. Looking up causes the spirit to grow taller, potentially becoming too large to escape or causing harm. Instead, the observer should look further and further downwards. By keeping the gaze fixed on the ground, the Shidaidaka steadily shrinks until it disappears completely. In some areas like Kawato, people are warned not to look at the creature from beneath their thighs.
Shidaidaka, drawn and placed
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
- Lineage
- Yōkai folklore
At a glance: who, where and when
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Compare and confuse
A similar legend exists in Shimane Prefecture involving a place called shidaizaka, or 'Gradual Slope.' On this path toward Sanbe Mountain, the incline increases when a person looks up, trapping them. Scholars suggest this geographical legend may have evolved from the Shidaidaka myth, with the name and content shifting over time to describe a natural hazard rather than a spirit.
Questions people ask about Shidaidaka
What is the Shidaidaka?
The Shidaidaka is a humanoid yokai from the Chūgoku region of Japan. It is a spirit that appears on roads and changes size based on the viewer's gaze.
How do you defeat it?
You must never look up at the Shidaidaka. Instead, look further and further downwards. This causes the spirit to shrink until it vanishes completely.
Where does it come from?
Legends originate in Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, and Okayama prefectures. Specific villages like Niyomiya and Matsukawa have detailed stories about encounters.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shidaidaka", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-07.
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