Giant centipede

Reports of gigantic centipedes have been recorded in Japan since the early 1600s. In modern times, however, reports are rarer. These centipedes appear to be ordinary Japanese giant centipedes (which can grow to be 20 cm), but much larger, reaching three feet in some cases.

In 1986, a farmer in the Saga prefecture found a 2.5-foot long centipede when it crawled out of a pile of logs. In a panic, he cut it in half with a rake. In the 2000s, a group of campers in Nagano prefecture, heard an unusual rustling noise coming from one of their tents. Upon closer inspection, a two-foot centipede skittered out of one of their pillowcases into the woods. In Japan, fake giant centipedes are often shown in misemonos, or sideshow attractions at circuses.