10 of the Creepiest Japanese Legends
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Known for its rich culture, historical charm, and technological prowess, Japan also fascinates everyone with some of the most eccentric and spooky Japanese urban legends and Japanese folklore! From toilet ghosts to eerie masks and deadly poems, there is something to spook even the bravest person! True horror is the forte of Japan as can be seen in their Japanese urban legends. Delve into this country’s fascinating dearth of scary urban legends at your own risk!
#10: Unmasking the True Spirit of Noh Masks!
Possibly one of the most horrific Japanese legends, the Noh Mask is known for all the wrong reasons. This mask is mainly used in kabuki or theatrical performances. At first appearance, it appears to be smiling but look at it from another angle and it will appear malicious and scary. According to legend, these masks are said to hide negative auras and trap all these emotions in the mask. Mostly used by rich people to get rid of negative energies, these masks manipulate the owner into wearing it and sucking out their entire soul. Afterwards, the mask leaves the corpse to deteriorate on its own.
Most people are warned from wearing these masks unless they are performing and only trained professionals can claim these masks. There was in fact a story about a boy who claimed that a man wearing a Noh mask once made him and the town people dance in frenzy at a festival.[1]Hiding From Japanese Ghosts – Noh Mask
One Noh mask that is said to be especially dangerous is the ‘Hannya’ mask which when translated means Japanese demon mask. These are said to use evil Japanese spirits to trap humans. Whether all of this is true or not, it is best to steer clear of all these masks!
#9: Run Away Fast From the Teke Teke!
Never before has athletic strength been as important in Japan as when escaping the eerie Teke teke. There are many Japanese ghost stories that involve the Teke teke which is a ghost in the form of a woman that only has her upper body. Legend has it that when she rushes towards her victims, the noises she makes sounds like Teke teke.[2]Yokai – Teke teke
According to local legend, after World War 2, American soldiers assaulted a woman called Kashima Reiko in Hokkaidō, Japan. She then jumped off a bridge onto the path of an oncoming train which cut her in half. She was still alive and crawled towards the attendant who merely covered her with a plastic sheet and she died a slow and painful death.
So, now she roams the streets looking for the rest of her body and to also seek vengeance for her painful death by killing as many people as possible. When one hears the story, they receive a phone call or dream where Kashima asks them a riddle as to whether you need your legs and the reply must be “I need them right now.” She will also ask how you know about her and all one needs to say is her name “Kashima Reiko”. She is one woman who will leave anyone scarred, literally and metaphorically.
#8: Stay Faithful Or End Up Like Kuchisake Onna
Vanity is something a lot of people are guilty of but when that ends in an Japanese urban legends, it is surely something to avoid. The creepy story of
Kuchisake Onna is one such story of vanity that went too far. As legend claims, Kuchisake Onna was the wife of a samurai ruler in the time period from 1200-800. Kuchisake Onna was very vain and aware of her beauty and this led her to infidelity. When her husband found out about this, he slit her from ear to ear. This gives an eerie resemblance to the modern day Joker from Batman. He then asked her, “Now let’s see who will find you pretty.”
Having been defaced she now terrorizes people by first wearing a surgical mask and asking them if they found her pretty.[3]The Mask of Reason – Kuchisake-Onna If the answer is “Yes”, she will remove the mask and ask again and whether you reply yes or no, she will slash you. The key is saying I’m not sure so as to confuse her and escape.
This legend may hold true as in the 1900s a coroner discovered a woman chasing children around with similar scars as the woman from the story. That’s why they say, don’t talk to strangers!
#7: Don’t Get Trapped In These Human Pillars (Hitobashira)
Imagine walking into a pillar that has a human trapped inside it? This kind of deadly encounter exists in Japan. According to Japanese mythology, the Japanese sacrificed humans in many places in the 16th century to uphold the structure. This has also supposedly continued into the 20th century.
People believe that many buildings in Japan have such human pillars including the Jamon Tunnel and Maruoka Castle. According to legend, a samurai warrior constructed the latter, but it kept falling apart. So the warrior decided to religiously sacrifice an old one-eyed woman called Oshizu as a human pillar. She agreed with the condition that he would make her son a samurai. Though the ruler agreed, he transferred some time later and the son never became a samurai. Every year, the moat of the castle would flood during the rains and people believed this was the old lady’s tears filling the castle.[4]Yokai – Hitobashira This is one Japanese urban legends that is creepy as well as sad.
#6: Encounter The Girl Ghost Hanako-San In A Loo!
In Japan, not only do school kids have to live in fear of exams but also have to deal with ghosts and Japanese demons. One such ghost is the spirit of Hanako-san who inhabits the loo of the third bathroom on the third floor of every public school. Knock at the stall and a little girl will ask you questions.
These little Japanese spirits are more or less considered harmless but there are several versions where she has reportedly dragged girls into the washroom.[5]Ancient Origins – Beware the Supernatural Bathroom Spirits, Toilet Deities, and Dung Demons
#5: Beware Of The Dreaded Red Room Curse
Who doesn’t hate pop up advertisements? It’s annoying and keeps distracting one from their actual work (aka Facebook and Instagram). In Japan, these pop ups can actually lead one to commit suicide. A little extreme isn’t it?
But according to legend, a Japanese school kid heard a rumor about these pop ups but didn’t believe it. When he went home a pop up displayed “Do you Like?” on his screen. Despite trying to close it multiple times, it kept asking him questions and then a screen with all his friends names appeared and at the end was the friend’s name who told him about this pop up. The boy never turned up for school. A few days later, people discovered his body. He had committed suicide and painted his room with his own blood.[6]Scary for Kids – Red Room
This legend became popular when a girl killed her best friend in what is known as the “Sasebo Slashing”. She had the red room video bookmarked on her computer. One word of advice: Get a pop up blocker when in Japan!
#4: Don’t Play With The Okiku Doll!
After having watched Chucky countless times, dolls have become a scary prospect. Imagine a girl doll whose hair keeps growing mysteriously every year so much so that people have to trim it. This is the case of the Okiku Doll that is now on display at the Mannenji temple in Hokkaido, Japan.[7]The Paranormal Guide – Haunted Doll Okiku
A boy gifted the doll to his 2-year-old sister according to Japanese urban legends. A year later a high fever killed the girl. The family kept the doll on her altar. The brother noticed that the doll’s hair kept growing longer and longer and the parents gave it to a priest who confirmed this and also stated that the hair belonged to a child. Now this is no child’s play indeed!
#3: Cryptic Tales of a Cow Head!
Ghost stories have this immense power over people and especially true with regards to Japanese ghost stories and Japanese urban legends. Yet horror stories are compelling enough to be shared everywhere: night outs, sleepovers, bus rides etc. One such cryptic tale is the story of the cow head or Gozu. This story is so scary that people die out of fright after reading or listening to it. A fire destroyed the actual story, but certain parts remain. However, people have distributed them so that no one can find them.
A teacher told the story to the children on a bus ride. By the end of it they were foaming at the mouth and shivering.[8]Scary for Kids – Cow Head The bus landed in a ditch but the really weird part was that the teacher doesn’t even remember the story or why he kept telling it. No more, bedtime stories please!
#2: A Gaping Hole Might Just Leave You Dead!
Japanese urban legends are pretty strange and of the strangest of them is the one about the girl in the gap. According to Japanese mythology, the gaps in our furniture have human Japanese spirits hiding in them and if one locks eyes with them, well that in itself is enough to frighten anyone to death.
But according to the story, there is a girl in the gaps between the furniture and if you lock eyes with her she will ask you to play Hide and Seek. If she does see you again, she will drag you inside the gap.[9]wattpad – Japanese Urban Legend The trick is not to see her again. If one does lock eyes with her, just bolt out of the house!
#1: Who Knew Poetry Could Kill?
Sometimes poetry can kill one, metaphorically as well as literally! This is true in Japan where the poem, “Tomino’s Hell” has literally created hell for those who read it out aloud. The Japanese urban legends is that if one reads it aloud, they will die.[10]wattpad – The Cursed Poem [Tomino’s Hell] English.
Saijō Yaso wrote this poem in 1919. The poem describes the tales of the boy who went to hell for the dreadful things he did while alive. The poem and the legend both sound equally ominous!
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