No.039

Kijimuna

THE BANYAN TREE SPIRIT

Japanese name

キジムナー（KIJIMUNA）

Type

Tree spirit

Found in

Old trees such as the banyan (gajumaru)

Where the legend lives

Okinawa — Told of across Okinawa as a spirit living in old trees such as the banyan

◆ The legend

A spirit that dwells in old trees, handed down in the stories of Okinawa. It is said to live in great trees like the gajumaru (a kind of banyan), which drops curtains of roots from its branches, and to look like a small child with a shock of messy red hair. Rather than a frightening yokai, it has long been loved as a familiar neighbor who shares its life with the trees: fond of mischief, yet said to become a true friend to the people it gets along with.

Kijimuna are said to have very clear likes and dislikes. Their favorite food is fish, and above all, fish eyes. Go fishing with one as your friend, and it will happily take only the eyes for itself. Octopus, on the other hand, it cannot stand; there are even stories that if you want to part ways with a kijimuna, octopus is the way to do it. Those plain, simple likes and dislikes give it a certain childlike charm.

◆ Stories about this yokai

October 21, 2026The Neighbor in the Banyan Tree: How People and Kijimuna Got AlongKijimuna are spirits said to live in Okinawa's gajumaru (banyan) trees. Stories tell of going fishing with a kijimuna friend, and of the day a kijimuna leaves for good. A gentle look at how people have lived alongside these neighbors in the trees.