The Japanese can trace the history of their culture from ancient times, they trace their ancestry for centuries, and they have preserved very old urban tales. Japanese urban legends (都市 伝 説 toshi densetsu) are a layer of urban legends based on Japanese mythology and culture. Often they are terribly scary, perhaps it is precisely in their hoary antiquity. Children's school horror stories and quite adult stories - we will retell some of them.
15. The tale of the red room
For a start - a fresh horror story of the XXI century. It's about a pop-up window that pops up when you surf the Internet for too long. Those who close this window soon die.
One ordinary guy who spent a lot of time on the Internet once heard the legend about the Red Room from a classmate. When the boy came home from school, the first thing he did was sat down at the computer and started looking for information about this story. Suddenly, a window appeared in the browser, where on a red background was the phrase: "Do you want?" He immediately closed the window. However, it immediately reappeared. He closed it over and over, but it kept appearing. At some point, the question changed, the inscription read: "Do you want to get into the Red Room?", And a child's voice repeated the same question from the columns. After that, the screen darkened, and a list of names appeared in red. At the very bottom of this list, the guy noticed his name. He never showed up at schooland no one has ever seen him alive - the boy painted his room red with his own blood and committed suicide.
We will not analyze the motives of such Japanese youth folklore, we will only note that the Japanese phenomenon "hikikomori" or simply hikki, of course, did not arise from scratch. And this phenomenon is much more terrible than an innocent story about the Red Room (in Japan today there are almost a million and a half hickey: this is the name for voluntary recluses who isolated themselves from society, live at the expense of their parents and do not crawl out from behind their computers). According to Michael Zielenziger, author of Shutting out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation, Hickey syndrome is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, while others say it is autism and Asperger. If you are interested in this issue, read the book "Parasites" by Ryu Murakami.
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14. Hitobashira - people-pillars
Stories about people-pillars (人 柱, hitobashira), more precisely, about people buried alive in columns or pillars during the construction of houses, castles and bridges, have been circulating in Japan since ancient times. These myths are based on the belief that the soul of a person walled up in the walls or foundation of a building makes the building unshakable and strengthens it. The worst thing, it seems, is not just tales - human skeletons are often found in the place of destroyed ancient buildings. During the liquidation of the consequences of the earthquake in Japan in 1968, dozens of skeletons were found walled up inside the walls - and in a standing position.
One of the most famous legends about human sacrifice is associated with Matsue Castle (松江 市, Matsue-shi), which dates back to the 17th century. The walls of the castle collapsed several times during construction, and the architect was confident that the man-pillar would help rectify the situation. He ordered an ancient ritual to be performed. The young girl was kidnapped and after the proper ceremonies, she was walled up in the wall: the construction was completed successfully, the castle is still standing!
13. Onry - vengeful spirit
Traditionally, Japanese urban legends are dedicated to terrible otherworldly creatures who, out of revenge or just harm, harm living people. The authors of the Japanese "Encyclopedia of Monsters", having conducted a survey among the Japanese, were able to count more than a hundred stories about various monsters and ghosts, which are believed in Japan.
Usually the main characters are the spirits of onryo, which became widely known in the West thanks to the popularization of Japanese horror films.
Onry (怨 霊, resentful, vengeful spirit) is a ghost, the spirit of a deceased person who returned to the living world to take revenge. A typical onry is a woman who died through the fault of a villainous husband. But the wrath of the ghost is not always directed against the offender, sometimes innocent people can be his victims. Onryo looks like this: white shroud, long black flowing hair, blue and white aiguma makeup (藍 隈), imitating deathly pallor. This image is often played out in popular culture both in Japan (in the horror films "The Ring", "The Curse"), and abroad. It is believed that the Scorpion from Mortal Kombat is also from onryo.
The legend of the onry dates back to the late 8th century in Japanese mythology. It is believed that many famous Japanese historical figures who really existed became onryo after death (politician Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), Emperor Sutoku (1119-1164) and many others). The Japanese government fought them as best they could, for example, built beautiful temples on their graves. It is said that many well-known Shinto shrines are actually built with the intention of "locking up" the onryo to keep them from getting out.
12. Okiku doll
In Japan, this doll is known to everyone, her name is Okiku. According to an old legend, the toy contains the soul of a little dead girl who owned the doll.
In 1918, a seventeen year old boy Eikichi bought a doll as a present for his two year old sister. The girl really liked the doll, Okiku did not part with her favorite toy for almost a minute, she played with it every day. But soon the girl died of a cold, and her parents put her doll on their home altar in memory of her (there is always a small altar and a Buddha figurine in the houses of Buddhists in Japan). After a while, they noticed that the doll's hair was starting to grow! This sign was seen as a sign that the girl's soul had moved into a doll.
Later, in the late 1930s, the family moved, and the doll was left in the local monastery in the city of Iwamizama. The Okiku doll lives there today. They say that her hair is periodically cut, but they still continue to grow. And, of course, in Japan everyone knows for sure that the trimmed hair was analyzed, and it turned out that it belongs to a real child.
Believe it or not - everyone's business, but we would not keep such a doll in the house.
11. Ibiza - little sister
This legend takes stories of annoying little sisters to a whole new level. There is a certain ghost that you may encounter while walking alone at night (to be honest, many of these urban legends can happen to those who wander the city alone at night.)
A young girl appears and asks if you have a sister, and it doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. She will say: "I want to be your sister!" and after that it will appear to you every night. Legend has it that if you somehow disappoint Ibiza as a new older brother or sister, she will get very angry and start killing you on the sly. More precisely, it will bring "twisted death".
Actually, Ibitsu is a famous manga by artist Haruto Ryo, published from 2009 to 2010. And it described a wise way to avoid problems with this obsessive person. The heroine of the manga sits in a pile of rubbish and asks the guys passing by if they want a little sister. Those who answered “no”, she immediately kills, and those who answered “yes” - declares her brother and begins to persecute. Thus, in order to avoid trouble, it is best not to answer anything. Now you know what to do!
10. Horror story about a ghost passenger who never pays
This is a narrowly professional horror story for taxi drivers. At night, a man in black suddenly appears on the road, as if from nowhere (if someone appears, as if from nowhere - he is almost always a ghost, did you know?), Stops a taxi, sits in the back seat. The man asks to take him to a place that the driver has never heard of ("Can you show me the way?"), And the mysterious passenger himself gives instructions, showing the way exclusively through the darkest and most terrible streets. After a long drive, seeing no end to this journey, the driver turns around - but there is no one there. Horror. But this is not the end of the story. The taxi driver turns back, takes the wheel - but cannot go anywhere, because he is already deader than dead.
It seems that this is not a very ancient legend, is it?
9. Hanako-san, toilet ghost
A separate group of urban legends - legends about ghosts-inhabitants of schools, or rather, school toilets. Perhaps this is somehow connected with the fact that the Japanese element of water is a symbol of the world of the dead.
There are a great many legends about school toilets, the most common of which is about Hanako, a toilet ghost. About 20 years ago, it was the most popular horror story of elementary school students in Japan, but it has not been forgotten even now. Every Japanese child knows the story of Hanko-san, and every schoolboy in Japan, at one time or another, stood in fear and did not dare to enter the toilet alone.
According to legend, Hanako was killed in the third stall of the school toilet, on the third floor. There she lives - in the third booth of all school toilets. The rules of conduct are simple: you need to knock on the door of the booth three times, and say her name. If everything is done politely, then no one will get hurt. She seems to be completely harmless if not disturbed, and meeting with her can be avoided by staying away from her cubicle.
There seems to be a character in Harry Potter very similar to Hanako. Remember Crybaby Myrtle? She is the ghost of the girl who was killed by the gaze of the Basilisk, and this ghost lives in the toilet room, however, on the second floor of Hogwarts.
8. Tomino's Hell
Tomino's Hell, a cursed poem, appears in Yomota Inuhiko's book Heart Like a Rolling Stone and is included in Saizo Yaso's twenty-seventh collection of poems, published in 1919.
There are words in this world that should never be spoken out loud, and the Japanese poem "Tomino Inferno" is one of them. According to legend, if you read this poem out loud, disaster will happen. In the best case, you will get sick or injured in some way, and in the worst case, you will die.
Here is the testimony of one Japanese: “I once read Tomino's Inferno on the live radio show Urban Legends and mocked the ignorance of superstitions. At first everything was fine, but then something began to happen to my body, and it became difficult for me to speak, it was like suffocation. I read half of the poem, but then I broke down and threw the pages aside. On the same day I had an accident, seven stitches were put in the hospital. I don’t want to think that this happened because of the poem, but on the other hand, I’m scared to imagine what could have happened if then I read it to the end”.
7. The cow's head is a horror story that cannot be written down
This short legend is so terrible that almost nothing is known about it. They say this story kills everyone who reads it or retells it. Let's check now.
The legend of the cow's head has been known since the 17th century, although the exact origin remains a mystery. It is said that anyone who reads or hears the story will tremble with fear for several days before finally dying. It is also said that almost all written versions were burned many years ago. Given these facts, it would be better not to write about it on the Internet at all, and you better not read further.
This story has been known since the Edo period. During the Kan-ei period (1624-1643), its name was already found in the diaries of various people. Moreover, it is only the name, not the plot of the story. They wrote about her like this: "Today they told me a horror story about a cow's head, but I cannot write it down here, because it is too terrible."
So this story is not in writing. However, it was passed from mouth to mouth and has survived to this day. This is what happened recently to one of the few people who know the Cow's Head. Further, we quote a Japanese source:
“This man is an elementary school teacher. During his school trip, he told scary stories on the bus. Children, who usually made noise, listened to him very attentively. They were really afraid. It was pleasant to him, and he decided at the very end to tell his best horror story - "Cow's head".
He lowered his voice and said, “Now I’ll tell you a story about a cow's head. A cow's head is …”But as soon as he began to talk, there was a disaster on the bus. The children were horrified by the extreme horror of the story. They shouted with one voice: "Sensei, stop!" One child turned pale and covered his ears. Another roared. But even then, the teacher did not stop talking. His eyes were blank, as if he was possessed by something … Soon the bus stopped abruptly. Feeling that something was wrong, the teacher came to his senses and looked at the driver. He was covered in cold sweat and trembled like an aspen leaf. He must have pulled up because he could no longer drive the bus.
The teacher looked around. All the students were unconscious and frothing from their mouths. Since then, he has never talked about "Cow's Head".
This "very scary, non-existent story" is described in Komatsu Sakyo's "Cow's Head" story. Its plot is almost the same - about the scary story "Cow's Head", which no one tells.
6. Fire in a department store
This story is not from the category of horror stories, rather, it is a tragedy, which is overgrown with gossip, which is now difficult to separate from the truth.
In December 1932, a fire broke out at a Shirokiya store in Japan. The staff were able to reach the roof of the building so that firefighters could rescue them with ropes. When the women, descending the ropes, were somewhere in the middle, strong gusts of wind began, which began to open their kimonos, under which they traditionally did not wear underwear. To prevent this dishonor, the women let go of the ropes, fell and shattered. This story allegedly caused a major change in traditional fashion as Japanese women began to wear underwear under their kimonos.
Despite the fact that this is a popular story, there are many questionable points. For starters, the kimonos are draped so tightly that the wind won't reveal them. In addition, at that time, Japanese men and women were calm about nudity, washing in joint baths, and the willingness to die, just not to be naked, inspires serious doubts.
In any case, this story is actually in Japanese textbooks on firefighting, and the vast majority of Japanese believe in it.
5. Aka Manto
Aka Manto or Red Cloak (赤 い マ ン ト) is another "toilet ghost", but unlike Hanako, Aka Manto is an evil and dangerous spirit. He looks like a fabulously handsome young man in a red cloak. According to legend, Aka Manto can walk into the school women's toilet at any time and ask: "What kind of cloak do you prefer, red or blue?" If the girl answers "red", then he will cut off her head and the blood flowing from the wound will create the appearance of a red cloak on her body. If she answers “blue,” Aka Manto will strangle her and the corpse will have a blue face. If the victim chooses a third color or says that they don't like both colors, then the floor will open under her and deathly pale hands will carry her to hell.
In Japan, this ghost - the killer is known under various names "Aka Manto" or "Ao Manto", or "Aka Hanten, Ao Hanten". Some people say that at one time, Red Cloak was a young man who was so handsome that all the girls immediately fell in love with him. He was so frighteningly handsome that the girls fainted when he looked at them. His beauty was so overwhelming that he was forced to hide his face under a white mask. Once, he kidnapped a beautiful girl and was never seen again.
This is similar to the legend of Kashima Reiko, a female ghost without legs who also lives in school toilets. She exclaims, “Where are my feet?” When someone enters the toilet. There are several options for correct answers.
4. Kutisake-onna or woman with a torn mouth
Kutisake-onna (Kushisake Ona) or Woman with a Torn Mouth (口 裂 け 女) is a popular children's horror story especially famous due to the fact that the police found many similar reports in the media and their archives. According to legend, an unusually beautiful woman in a gauze band walks the streets of Japan. If a child walks down the street alone, then she can approach him and ask: "Am I beautiful ?!". If he hesitates, as is usually the case, then Kutisake-onna tears off the bandage from his face and shows a huge scar that crosses his face from ear to ear, a giant mouth with sharp teeth in it and a tongue like a snake. Then the question follows: "Am I beautiful now?" If the child answers "no", then she will cut off his head, and if "yes", then she will make him the same scar (she has scissors with her).
The only way to elude Kushisake Onna is to give an unexpected answer. “If you say 'you look average' or 'you look normal' she will be confused and have enough time to run away.
The only way to escape Kushisake Ona is to give an unexpected answer. If you say “you look okay,” she will be confused and have plenty of time to escape.
In Japan, wearing medical masks is not uncommon, a huge number of people wear them, and poor children seem to be afraid of literally everyone they meet.
There are many ways to explain how Kushisake Onna got her horrible shapeless mouth. The most popular version is the escaped madwoman, who is so insane that she cut her own mouth open.
According to the ancient version of this legend, a very beautiful woman lived in Japan many years ago. Her husband was a jealous and cruel man, and he began to suspect that she was cheating on him. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the sword and cut her mouth, shouting "Who will consider you beautiful now?" She has become a vengeful ghost that roams the streets of Japan, and wears a headscarf to hide her terrible scar.
The US has its own version of Kushisake Onna. There were rumors of a clown who would appear in public restrooms, walk up to the children and ask, “Do you want to have a smile, a happy smile?”, And if the child agreed, he would take out a knife and slit their mouths from ear to ear. It seems that this clown smile was appropriated by Tim Burton for his Joker in the 1989 Oscar-winning Batman. It is the satanic smile of the Joker in the brilliant performance of Jack Nicholson that has become the trademark of this beautiful film.
3. Hon Onna - slayer of sexually anxious men
Hon-onna is the Japanese version of the sea siren or succubus, so it only poses a danger to sexually anxious men, but is scary creepy nonetheless.
According to this legend, the gorgeous woman wears a luxurious kimono that hides everything except her wrists and beautiful face. She flirts with a dude charmed by her, and lures him into a secluded place, usually in a dark alley. Unfortunately for the guy, it won't lead him to a happy ending. Hon-onna takes off her kimono, revealing a creepy, naked skeleton without skin and muscles - a pure zombie. She then embraces the hero-lover and sucks his life and soul.
So Hon-onna hunts exclusively for promiscuous males, and for the rest of the people she is not dangerous - a kind of forest orderly, probably invented by Japanese wives. But, you see, the image is bright.
2. Hitori kakurenbo or playing hide and seek with yourself
"Hitori kakurenbo" in translation from Japanese means "a game of hide and seek with oneself." Anyone who has a doll, rice, needle, red thread, knife, nail clippers and a cup of salt water can play.
First, cut the doll's body with a knife, put some rice and part of your nail inside it. Then sew it with red thread. At three o'clock in the morning you need to go to the bathroom, fill the sink with water, put the doll there and say three times: "He drives first (and tell me your name)." Turn off all the lights in the house and head to your room. Close your eyes here and count to ten. Return to the bathroom and stab the doll with a knife, while saying: "Fired, knocked, now it's your turn to look." Well, the doll will find you wherever you hide! To get rid of the curse, you need to sprinkle the doll with salt water and say three times: "I won"!
Another modern urban legend: Tek-Tek or Kashima Reiko (鹿島 玲子) - the ghost of a woman named Kashima Reiko, who was run over by a train and cut her in half. Since then, she wanders at night, moving on her elbows, making the sound "teke-teke-teke" (or tek-tek).
Tek-tek was once a lovely girl who accidentally fell (or deliberately jumped) from a subway platform onto the tracks. The train cut her in half. And now the upper body of Teke-teke roams the city streets in search of revenge. Despite the lack of legs, it moves very quickly on the ground. If Teke-teke catches you, she will cut your body in half with a sharp oblique.
According to legend, Tek-Tek hunts children who play at dusk. Tack-Tack is very similar to the American children's horror story about Klack-Klak, with which parents frightened children walking until late.
Touching in their childish superstitious naivety, the Japanese carefully preserve their urban legends - both children's funny horror stories and quite an adult horror. Acquiring a modern flair, these myths retain an ancient flavor and a quite tangible animal fear of otherworldly forces.
