Whispered by the fireside, urban legends are an integral part of the Japanese imagination. These stories of Yokai, ghosts, and other strange creatures are often used to explain the unexplainable or simply to entertain. However, some of these tales are so terrifying that they will stay with you long after the campfire has been extinguished.
If some of them seem absurd to you, don’t be mistaken: well-told, they can prove to be terrifying and allow you to have a great evening…
1. The Kiyotaki Tunnel
This tunnel, dating from 1927, is said to be haunted and cursed because of its length of 444 meters (the number 4 being unlucky in Japan). The spirits of the workers who died during its construction come to frighten drivers into violent accidents. The number of victims is said to be so large that a small shrine has been erected at the tunnel’s entrance to appease the spirits.
2. Kuchisake-Onna
With her split mouth hidden under a surgical mask, this woman, disfigured and killed by a jealous husband, appears at night and asks men if she is beautiful. No matter the answer, death is always there… So avoid walking alone at night in Japan, especially if you are a man!
3. The Inunaki Village
Inunaki is a mysterious Japanese village. Isolated from all civilization, it does not appear on the map and its inhabitants recognize no law. Moreover, visitors who have dared to go there have never returned.
4. Teke Teke
Announced by a freezing wind and the frightening sound of her nails on the ground, Teke Teke, the woman with severed legs, arms herself with a scythe to attack isolated walkers. This legend tells the story of a young woman who was cut in half by a train. Since then, her soul wanders the earth, dragging behind her bloody torso.
5. Okiku’s Doll
This love story tragic unfolds in the Edo period. A young girl named Okiku worked in a castle as a servant. One day, she was accused of breaking one of the ten precious plates belonging to her lord. As punishment, she was drowned in a well… The hair of this doll grows constantly, without any explanation.According to the legend, it would welcome the soul of its young owner, who died at 3 years old.
6. Hannako-san
Do not provoke this ghost that comes to haunt the toilets of Japanese schools! This Yurei could drag you with him into the bowl to avenge the death of a little girl who drowned there.
7. Aka Manto
This other ghost of public toilets appears when there is no more paper. Don’t laugh: he is known to slit the throats or suffocate all his victims. So if you don’t want to risk meeting him, always have a few sheets of paper in your pocket!
8. Hitobashira
In the 17th century, it was sometimes ensured the solidity of a construction by burying a living person in the foundations. These sacrifices were intended for the gods who protected the buildings. But history has it that prisoners still haunt the places where they were put to death… If you hear noises in a very old building, it might be time to leave.
9. Tomino’s Hell
According to legend, this cursed poem would kill anyone who reads it aloud. It was written by a young poet who, driven by madness, killed himself and his family. The poem is said to be the expression of his desire to see them suffer in the afterlife (yes, it’s charming…)
10. The girl of the spaces
Holed up in the crack of a door or hidden in a closet left open, she tries to catch your eye to involve you in a hide-and-seek game… or in another dimension. If you are lucky enough to escape her, be careful: according to legend, anyone who sees her dies within the year. So if you don’t want to take any risks, don’t look at yourself in the mirror at 3 in the morning!
Now that you know some of the scariest legends of Japan, be careful not to walk alone at night if you visit Japan… or you might become one of them!
And if this whole list stressed you out, a little do-in massage to stay in the theme of the rising sun and everything will be better!