1-The Teke Teke, the woman without legs:
This legend is about a girl who died tragically. She suffered hard jokes from her classmates, but one day the joke went out of their hands. Her classmates put a cicada on her shoulder and when she tried to get rid of it she fell on the train tracks and at that moment the train passed and cut her in two pieces. But one night she came to have revenge because her classmates told everyone that she committed suicide. One night, 3 of her classmates were walking near the place when they saw a girl without legs and with her intestines out. The legend says that she now searches to revenge everyone who makes the same jokes they made to her. She is called like that because it’s the sound that she makes when she crawls.
2-Hachishakusama, the woman of 2 meters:
Hachishakusama is an evil spirit who kidnaps children in Japan. She is recognized by her 2.5 meters tall and her long black hair. The yurei (Japanese ghost) announces its arrival with a strange noise that sounds like “po po po.” One day, a child who was playing quietly in his grandparents’ garden had the bad luck to see the woman.
Hearing a strange sound in the distance, he saw the gigantic figure of Hachishakusama. The boy soon told his grandparents what he had seen. Their faces immediately changed and they began to tremble. His grandson was the victim of an evil spirit. Frightened, they decided to consult a witch. He advised him to stay in his room all night, with a scroll in his hand, and not to open the door to Hachishakusama. Later, the boy heard the sound of “po po po po” again, followed by his grandfather’s voice asking him to open the door. He realized that it was actually the demon and kept the door closed until 7 in the morning, as he had been ordered. But you don’t get rid of Hachishakusama so easily. One day, while the little boy was walking with his grandparents and looking out the window, he saw the long silhouette of the demon again.
3-Rokurokubi, the creature with a long neck:
Don’t be fooled by her appearances she might be a beautiful woman in the day, but she is a monster at night. Her neck gets longer, and it becomes a really evil creature, some of them only scare people, but other ones eat the people. You can recognize them because they have a little white mark on the neck.
4- Hanako San, the bathroom spirit:
Hanako San is a revenge spirit that haunts the toilets on the third floor of schools. This black-haired girl who scares children is found in cubicle 3 of the girls’ toilets. The legend says that Hanako San has died in a bombing raid during World War II. Another version states that she was murdered by a pervert. One last rumor says that he committed suicide. Be careful not to say her name three times if you don’t want him to suck you into hell.
5-The hell of Tomino, the poem that kills:
All fans of Japanese poetry should know that an urban legend states that whoever reads these verses aloud will die. It is a poem by Yomota Inuhiko called Tomino’s Hell, which tells of the conviction of a young man who committed atrocious acts. It’s all quite tragic! In short, it is a murderous poem that is best not talked about. The Japanese horror legend echoes Gloomy Sunday, a famous Japanese song that caused a wave of suicides in the 1930s.
6-Kuchisake Onna, the woman with an open mouth:
This urban legend is well known in Japan, it is about a beautiful lady from the Edo period who was a victim of her husband’s jealousy. Suspecting that his wife was cheating, the husband decided to cut her mouth to embarrass her. As he mutilated his wife, he shouted, “Who will find you pretty now?” After her death, the woman became an onryo (vengeful spirit). Driven by anger, she does not hesitate to kill little boys or men, according to the version of the legend. She hides in the forest at night, her face hidden under a surgical mask, asking people who pass by, “Am I beautiful?” If the answer is yes, he takes off his mask and replies: “Still?” Whatever your answer is, it will open your mouth.
7-Hitobashira, the human sacrifice of Maruoka Castle:
Did you know that human sacrifices were practiced in Japan until the 17th century to protect buildings from natural disasters? People were buried alive or even walled up near bridges, temples or castles, as an offering to the kami. This rite was called Hitobashira (human pillar). Unfortunately, Oshizu was one of them. Built in the Sengoku period, Maruoka Castle was one of the great monuments of Japan, but the keep always ended up collapsing. A way had to be found to stabilize the foundation. That’s when the idea of adding a human pillar arose. A woman named Oshizu agreed to be walled alive in exchange for turning her son into a samurai. The problem is that the promise was not kept. Since then, her tears covered the castle moat every year.
8-Kiyotaki, the cursed tunnel:
This horror story is very popular in Japan, is about a haunted tunnel. It’s a tunnel that connects Arashiyama with Sagakiyotaki was built at the beginning of the 19th century in precarious conditions. It is said that many workers died from accidents or exhaustion during its construction. So it’s not a surprise that lost souls haunt this place. A white lady and other ghosts are rumored to cause traffic accidents in this tunnel. Furthermore, the Kiyotaki tunnel measures 444 meters and the number 4 is considered cursed in Japan. So, if you take this tunnel of darkness, be careful when you drive.
9-Aka Manto, ¿Will you choose the right option?:
Toilets in Japan are the stuff of many urban legends. After the story of Hanako San, the toilet girl, let’s learn about Aka Manto, a young man dressed in a red coat. He was regularly harassed by his classmates, until one day he decided to end his life in the toilets. Since then, the spirit of Aka Mato has taken revenge by attacking those who go to the toilet. There’s a rumor that says that he asks people if they prefer red or blue paper. There are no right answers, because if you choose the red you will be killed in a pool of blood and if you choose the blue you will be strangled.
10-Gozu or cow’s head, the story that terrifies:
No one knows the real content of the story, but what it’s known is that it is better not to tell the story at the risk of being sentenced to death. Gozu is an evil spirit that looks like a cow’s head. During a school trip, a teacher who didn’t know how to calm his students had the bad idea of telling this terrifying legend. The demon possessed his body. When the teacher finished his story, the bus had crashed and all the students were dead or suffering on the ground. None of the survivors could remember the Japanese horror story that had caused this tragedy.
11-The Inunaki town, a cursed place without faith or law:
In Inunaki there are no laws, as its sign at the entrance points out. So, between murders and crime, chaos reigns. There is also a rumor that electrical dispositives do not work in this mysterious place. The urban legend of the Inunaki village has never been proven, as no one has ever returned from this cursed place. However, we do know that the town has been gradually depopulated due to urbanization.
12-Aokigahara, the forest of suicide:
It’s for sure the most haunted place in Japan, Aokigahara is an immense forest located at the foot of the famous Mount Fuji. It is located on a lava flow that dates back to the 9th century and is populated by numerous conifers. It is known as “The Sea of Trees” or “Jukai” in Japanese. It is said that whoever enters this dark and dense vegetal mass will not be able to get out. In fact, it is easy to get lost, especially since the forest covers 35 km2. It is also famous for his numerous tragic suicides. People leave ropes to find their way back home, objects and sometimes bodies. The Aokigahara forest is the scariest forest in Japan.
