Japanese 'Killing Stone' Said to Contain Demon Has Split Open

Some legends are infamous, such as the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. In Japan, one such legend is the "killing stone."

The ancient rock, officially known as the Sessho-seki, has reportedly split open, supposedly releasing an evil demon that has been trapped inside for almost 1,000 years, according to Guardian.

According to Japanese folklore, the volcanic rock is home to a nine-tailed fox spirit said to have once taken the form of a beautiful woman named Tamamo-No-Mae as part of a "secret plot hatched by a feudal warlord to kill Emperor Toba, who reigned from 1107-1123." After she was defeated, her spirit was sealed in the Sessho-seki — according to legend, of course.

A tourist hot spot, the rock is located in the mountains of Tochigi, near Tokyo, which is infamous for its hot springs.

The giant hunk of lava is said to have split into two pieces in recent days, sparking concern for believers in the legend. Some believe the rock will "kill anyone who comes into contact with it," while others believe the stone spews poisonous gas.

After someone snapped a photo of the broken rock and shared it on social media, some users became worried about the damage the cursed rock might now cause.

"I feel like I've seen something that shouldn't be seen," one user commented on Twitter alongside a photo of the broken stone, while another commented: "I thought 2022 couldn't get worse. Now a furious Japanese spirit is freed from its killing stone."

"My guess is the demon is going to look around at 2022 and want to go back into the rock for another millennium," a third joked.

"So apparently, the stone called Sessho-seki where the Japanese yokai, Tamamo-no-Mae was sealed in, had split open into two. Welp, 2022 couldn't get any better," a fourth scoffed alongside some images of the rock.

According to Guardian, Masaharu Sugawara, the head of a local guide group, told a local news outlet that it was a "shame" the historic rock split because it was a historical site located in the area. However, he agreed that sometimes nature takes its course, which must have led to the stone's split.

The reportedly cursed stone was registered as a local historical site in 1957 and has even inspired a novel and an anime film.

Now, experts are looking to see if they can restore the legendary rock.