Obariyon lurks in bushes and trees by the side of the road, and when a traveler walks by, it leaps out onto their back crying out, “obariyon!” If the traveler relents and carries the obariyon on his back, the monster becomes heavier and heavier with each footstep, nearly crushing the traveler under its weight. The name Obariyon comes from a phrase in local Niigata dialect meaning “give me a piggyback ride!” Obaryion is a child sized yokai which rides piggyback on a human víctim and becomes unbearably heavy until it crushes the victim if its wishes are not followed.
