Japanese urban legends
Encyclopedia
Japanese urban legends are enduring modern folktales of paranormal creatures and their attacks on (usually) innocent victims. They rarely include the fantastical or animistic yokai
of earlier Japanese superstition, and are mostly based on onryo, Japanese ghosts who have become vengeful spirits and take their aggression out on any who cross their path. Modern urban legends tend to include Japanese schools and, similar to the yokai
legends, incorporate cautionary tales into their stories, warning people not to bully others, walk home late at night or talk to strangers. Although there are non-supernatural urban legends in Japan's cities, such as the secret Tokyo tunnels or the corpse washing job rumour, this article deals with the enduring ghostly legends of modern Japan.
is a spirit which haunts bathrooms, usually the last toilet stall in the women's/girl's bathroom. Some versions describe him as wearing a mask to cover his extremely handsome face, which had caused him stalking problems in life. When the unlucky victim is on the toilet, a mysterious voice will ask them if they want red paper or blue paper. If you answer red paper, you are killed violently and drenched in blood. If you ask for blue, you are strangled or bled dry, leaving your face/skin blue. Attempting to ask for any other colour of paper will result in hands appearing (sometimes coming out of the toilet you're sitting on), that will drag you into the the fires of hell. In other versions the ghost will simply ask you if you want a red vest and will then rip the skin from your back. He could also ask you if you want a red or blue cloak. The only correct answer is to refuse anything he offers.
driver making his way along a road during the night. Legend goes that a person will suddenly appear from the night darkness and hail the taxi. The person will only ever sit in the back of the car and will ask to be taken to a place the driver has never heard of. When the driver mentions this, he is assured that he will be given directions. The passenger then feeds the driver increasingly complex directions which leads them down streets and alleys, through many towns and even in some instances all the way from the city to the countryside. After traveling this distance and still seeming no closer to any destination, the driver becomes uneasy. He turns around to the back seat to ask the passenger exactly where they are – but he is suddenly shocked to find that the passenger has vanished. The taxi driver turns back to the steering wheel; only to drive off the edge of a cliff.
Similar Urban Legends: Killer in the backseat
and the Vanishing Hitchhiker
Other variations of the story state who ever hears it is never able to retell the story as they die soon after. The cursed story was rumored to be an unpublished piece from sci-fi writer Sakyo Komatsu
, but there is no evidence to link the author to the Cow Head legend. A Ukrainian folktale called Cow's Head does exist, about a woman who receives good fortune by offering food and shelter to a disembodied cow's head that visits her one night, but the tale is unlikely to cause hysteria in those who hear it. There is also a 2003 film called Gozu
, directed by Takashi Miike
which, though violent and surreal, is not linked to the urban legend.
, is still working today and has not given birth to a demonic entity.
Similar Urban Legends: Set problems on The Exorcist
, Tokyo
, there is lake where visitors can hire rowing boats. It's said that if a couple rides on the boat together their relationship will end. The legend, though less deadly than the others mentioned in this article, still has a supernatural source and is connected to a local shrine dedicated to Benzaiten
. She is said to be very jealous and causes the break ups of those who ride on the boats.
Similar Urban Legends: The Black Dog
is a Japanese version of a ouija board, which became popular during the Meiji era. Rather than using a pre-bought board with letters and a Planchette
, 'players' write down hiragana
characters and place their fingers on a coin, before asking 'Kokkuri-san' a question. This is a popular game in highschools and, similar to the western ouija board, several rumours and legends surround it. Some include Kokkuri-san only telling players the date of their death, while others say you can ask Kokkuri-san anything but you must finish the game correctly, either by saying goodbye to Kokkuri-san before leaving the table, or disposing of the kokkuri game utensils within a certain time limit, such as spending the coin or using the pen which wrote the hiragana
. Failure to do so will result in misfortune or death for the players.
Similar Urban Legends: Ouija Board
, you can answer her second question with "You're average" or "So-so", and you can escape while she is confused, or you can throw fruit or sweets at her which she will pick up, thus giving the victim a chance to run. One other way is to ask her if you are pretty, she will get confused and leave.
Similar Urban Legends: The Hook
and Bunny Man
(or Nopperabou) appear to be ordinary humans but they are actually shape shifters. They usually appear to the victim as someone they know before erasing their facial features to scare them. They're also known as a 'no-face' or 'faceless ghost' and they are known to be mischievous rather than malevolent. A favourite game of the Noppera-bo is to work in teams, where one of them scares a victim who then flees and finds another person walking late at night. The victim frantically relates their story to the stranger until they reveal that they too are a Noppera-bo. Although the Noppera-bo is considered a yokai
due to it's long history in Japanese culture, there are modern reports of sightings, including in Hawaii which has cultural links to Japan.
Similar Urban Legends: Katu Lata Kulu Email and Smith Sisters Murdered Anonymously
is the ghost of a young woman who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a scratching or teke teke sound. If she encounters anyone at night and the victim is not fast enough, she will slice them in half at the torso to mimic her own disfigurement and the will sometimes become Teke Teke's themselves. Versions of the legend include a young school boy walking home at night and spotting a beautiful young girl standing by a windowsill resting on her elbows. When she notices him, she jumps out of the window and onto the pavement in front of him, revealing herself to be no more than upper torso; she then cuts the boy in two.
Similar Urban Legends: Carmen Winstead
Similar Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Hanako-san of the Toilet
Teketeke
Other
Kuchi-sake Onna Manga
Other legends
Yokai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
of earlier Japanese superstition, and are mostly based on onryo, Japanese ghosts who have become vengeful spirits and take their aggression out on any who cross their path. Modern urban legends tend to include Japanese schools and, similar to the yokai
Yokai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
legends, incorporate cautionary tales into their stories, warning people not to bully others, walk home late at night or talk to strangers. Although there are non-supernatural urban legends in Japan's cities, such as the secret Tokyo tunnels or the corpse washing job rumour, this article deals with the enduring ghostly legends of modern Japan.
Aka Manto (Red Cape)
Aka MantoAka Manto
Aka Manto is a Japanese urban legend about a malicious spirit who haunts public and school toilets, who will ask you if you want red paper or blue paper. In some version he will ask you if you want a red or blue cape...
is a spirit which haunts bathrooms, usually the last toilet stall in the women's/girl's bathroom. Some versions describe him as wearing a mask to cover his extremely handsome face, which had caused him stalking problems in life. When the unlucky victim is on the toilet, a mysterious voice will ask them if they want red paper or blue paper. If you answer red paper, you are killed violently and drenched in blood. If you ask for blue, you are strangled or bled dry, leaving your face/skin blue. Attempting to ask for any other colour of paper will result in hands appearing (sometimes coming out of the toilet you're sitting on), that will drag you into the the fires of hell. In other versions the ghost will simply ask you if you want a red vest and will then rip the skin from your back. He could also ask you if you want a red or blue cloak. The only correct answer is to refuse anything he offers.
Fatal Fare
This story concerns a lone taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver making his way along a road during the night. Legend goes that a person will suddenly appear from the night darkness and hail the taxi. The person will only ever sit in the back of the car and will ask to be taken to a place the driver has never heard of. When the driver mentions this, he is assured that he will be given directions. The passenger then feeds the driver increasingly complex directions which leads them down streets and alleys, through many towns and even in some instances all the way from the city to the countryside. After traveling this distance and still seeming no closer to any destination, the driver becomes uneasy. He turns around to the back seat to ask the passenger exactly where they are – but he is suddenly shocked to find that the passenger has vanished. The taxi driver turns back to the steering wheel; only to drive off the edge of a cliff.
Similar Urban Legends: Killer in the backseat
Killer in the backseat
Killer in the Backseat is a common, car-crime urban legend well known mostly in the United States and United Kingdom. It was first noted by folklorist Carlos Drake in 1968 in texts collected by Indiana University students.-Legend:...
and the Vanishing Hitchhiker
Vanishing hitchhiker
The vanishing hitchhiker story is an urban legend in which people travelling by vehicle meet with or are accompanied by a hitchhiker who subsequently vanishes without explanation, often from a moving vehicle...
Gozu (Cow Head)
Gozu (Ox-head), also known as Cow Head, is the title of a story in a Japanese Urban legend. The legend involves a bored group of school children on a coach during a class trip. A teacher, anxious to cheer his students, decides to tell some ghost stories. The children enjoy them but as he begins to run out of good tales to tell, he suddenly asks if anyone has heard of 'Cow Head'? None of the students were familiar with the story. The teacher began and at first the children were mesmerised, but gradually, many grew frightened and then terrified. Several of the children begged the teacher to stop but he appeared to be in a trance, unable to stop. The teacher came to a while later and found the bus stopped in the middle of the road. The children lay about the bus in a catatonic state, their eyes turned in their heads, their mouths frothing, the driver in a similar state. All were alive, but the teacher could not remember the story he told, and no one else present would ever mention what happens in the tale of 'Cow's Head'.Other variations of the story state who ever hears it is never able to retell the story as they die soon after. The cursed story was rumored to be an unpublished piece from sci-fi writer Sakyo Komatsu
Sakyo Komatsu
was a Japanese science fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the most well known and highly regarded science fiction writers in Japan.-Early life:...
, but there is no evidence to link the author to the Cow Head legend. A Ukrainian folktale called Cow's Head does exist, about a woman who receives good fortune by offering food and shelter to a disembodied cow's head that visits her one night, but the tale is unlikely to cause hysteria in those who hear it. There is also a 2003 film called Gozu
Gozu
is a Japanese cult film directed by Takashi Miike.-Plot:Structurally, Gozu is a succession of bizarre scenes sandwiched between a storyline involving Minami’s search for his Yakuza brother Ozaki in a small town, that is reminiscent of the episodic quests in Greek Mythology.-Cast:*Hideki Sone as...
, directed by Takashi Miike
Takashi Miike
is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions...
which, though violent and surreal, is not linked to the urban legend.
Cursed Kleenex Commercial
In the 1980s, Kleenex released three Japanese commercial for their tissues, featuring a woman dressed in a white toga-like dress and a young child dressed as a Japanese ogre, sitting on straw. Each advert had the song "It's a fine day" by Jane & Barton playing in the background. Many viewers found the advertisement creepy. Some complaints claimed the music sounded like a German curse, although the lyrics are in English. Because of its unnerving ambiance, several rumours began to circulate about the cast, such as with the crew meeting untimely deaths through accidents and the lead actress either dying, being institutionalized or becoming pregnant with a demon child. The actress, Keiko MatsuzakaKeiko Matsuzaka
is an actress.Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Active as a child actress in the 1960s, she came into her own as an adult with Daiei, then in 1972 with Shochiku....
, is still working today and has not given birth to a demonic entity.
Similar Urban Legends: Set problems on The Exorcist
The Inokashira Park Curse
In Inokashira ParkInokashira Park
straddles Musashino and Mitaka in western Tokyo, Japan.Inokashira Pond and the , established during the Edo period, are the primary sources of the Kanda River....
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, there is lake where visitors can hire rowing boats. It's said that if a couple rides on the boat together their relationship will end. The legend, though less deadly than the others mentioned in this article, still has a supernatural source and is connected to a local shrine dedicated to Benzaiten
Benzaiten
Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries, mainly via the Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light, which has a section devoted to her...
. She is said to be very jealous and causes the break ups of those who ride on the boats.
Jinmenken (Human Faced Dog)
Jinmenken are dogs, but with human faces. There have been recorded sightings since the Edo period, but there have also been modern reports. They supposedly appear, at night, in Japanese urban areas and are also known to run along highways at extremely fast speeds. The jinmenken can also talk, but reports say that they will either be rude or will ask to be left alone. Unlike most Japanese urban legends, the human-faced dog is not widely known to kill those unlucky enough to meet it, though they are suspected to be escaped scientific experiments or the spirits of road crash victims. There is also speculation that witnesses who say they've met a jinmenken have actually come across Japanese macaques, which accounts for the quadpedal movement, dog like fur, human face and the human like noises the jinmenken can supposedly make.Similar Urban Legends: The Black Dog
Black dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal...
Kokkuri-san
KokkuriKokkuri (game)
or is a Japanese game popular during the Meiji period that is also a form of divination, based partially on Western table-turning. The name kokkuri is an onomatopoeia meaning "to nod up and down", and refers to the movement of the actual kokkuri mechanism...
is a Japanese version of a ouija board, which became popular during the Meiji era. Rather than using a pre-bought board with letters and a Planchette
Planchette
A planchette , from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood that one moves around on a board to spell out messages or answer questions. Paranormal advocates believe that the planchette is moved by some extra-normal force. The motion is due to the...
, 'players' write down hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
characters and place their fingers on a coin, before asking 'Kokkuri-san' a question. This is a popular game in highschools and, similar to the western ouija board, several rumours and legends surround it. Some include Kokkuri-san only telling players the date of their death, while others say you can ask Kokkuri-san anything but you must finish the game correctly, either by saying goodbye to Kokkuri-san before leaving the table, or disposing of the kokkuri game utensils within a certain time limit, such as spending the coin or using the pen which wrote the hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
. Failure to do so will result in misfortune or death for the players.
Similar Urban Legends: Ouija Board
Ouija Board
Ouija Board is a Thoroughbred mare racehorse owned by Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby and trained by Ed Dunlop. In a career spanning four seasons, she won 10 of her 22 races, 7 of them Group 1s, including the Epsom Oaks in 2004 and the Hong Kong Vase in 2005...
Kuchisake-onna (Slit-mouthed Woman)
Children walking alone at night may encounter a woman wearing a surgical mask, this is not an unusual sight in Japan as people wear them to protect others from their colds or sickness. The woman will stop the child and ask, 'Am I beautiful?'. If they say no, she kills them with a pair of scissors she always carries with her, but most children will answer yes, in which case the woman asks 'How about now?' and removes her mask to reveal her mouth has been slit from ear to ear. Regardless of whether the child answers yes or no at this point, the woman will kill them, if they say no, they are cut in half, and if they say yes, she cuts their mouths to be exactly like her's. To escape the Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onna
In Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
, you can answer her second question with "You're average" or "So-so", and you can escape while she is confused, or you can throw fruit or sweets at her which she will pick up, thus giving the victim a chance to run. One other way is to ask her if you are pretty, she will get confused and leave.
Similar Urban Legends: The Hook
The Hook
The Hook is a classic example of an urban legend. The basic premise involves a young couple parked at a dark lovers' lane. The radio plays music as the couple make out. The music is interrupted by an announcer who reports that a serial killer has just escaped an institution which is nearby. The...
and Bunny Man
Noppera-bō
Noppera-boNoppera-bo
The , or faceless ghost, is a Japanese legendary creature. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-bō are usually humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes...
(or Nopperabou) appear to be ordinary humans but they are actually shape shifters. They usually appear to the victim as someone they know before erasing their facial features to scare them. They're also known as a 'no-face' or 'faceless ghost' and they are known to be mischievous rather than malevolent. A favourite game of the Noppera-bo is to work in teams, where one of them scares a victim who then flees and finds another person walking late at night. The victim frantically relates their story to the stranger until they reveal that they too are a Noppera-bo. Although the Noppera-bo is considered a yokai
Yokai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
due to it's long history in Japanese culture, there are modern reports of sightings, including in Hawaii which has cultural links to Japan.
The Red Room
The Red Room story is an internet legend about a pop up which appears on the victim's computer. The image simply shows a red door and a recorded voice asks "Do you like-". Even if the pop up is closed it will repeatedly reappear until the voice finally completes the question: "Do you like the red room?". Those who have seen the pop-up are found dead, their walls painted red in their own blood. The legend began with a flash animation of a young boy being cursed after encountering the pop-up, but gained notoriety when it was the schoolgirl who committed the Sasebo slashing in 2004 had the video as a bookmark.Similar Urban Legends: Katu Lata Kulu Email and Smith Sisters Murdered Anonymously
Teke Teke
The Teke TekeTeke Teke
The Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young woman, or school girl, who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe or a saw and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a...
is the ghost of a young woman who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a scratching or teke teke sound. If she encounters anyone at night and the victim is not fast enough, she will slice them in half at the torso to mimic her own disfigurement and the will sometimes become Teke Teke's themselves. Versions of the legend include a young school boy walking home at night and spotting a beautiful young girl standing by a windowsill resting on her elbows. When she notices him, she jumps out of the window and onto the pavement in front of him, revealing herself to be no more than upper torso; she then cuts the boy in two.
Similar Urban Legends: Carmen Winstead
Toire no Hanako-san (Hanako-san of the Toilet)
Toire no Hanako-san is a famous legend associated with Japanese elementary schools. The story tells of an omnipresent ghost who is thought to be the spirit of a student who committed suicide due to excessive bullying or "ijime". However the entity is also known to just appear for no apparent reason. Hanako-san is found in most elementary schools in Japan, but specifically in the fourth stall of the girl’s bathroom. Characterized by a pair of stark gleaming eyes, the spirit scares any person who sets eyes on it. Not known to be malevolent or vicious in any way, Hanako-san is simply an eerie entity that only serves to severely scare its victims.Similar Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary
- Personalities :* Mary I of England, Queen of England and Ireland* Bloody Mary , a ghost said to appear in mirrors when summonedQueen of England & Ireland in the Tudor era.Daughter of Henry VIII.- Literature :...
In Media
Urban legends are popular in Japan, and are often used in movies, anime and manga, suggesting their endurance in the common imagination.Japanese Films based on Urban Legends
Kuchisake-onna- Kuchisake-onna (1996)
- Kannô byôtô: nureta akai kuchibiru (2005)
- Carved (2007)
- Kaiki toshi-densetsu - Kuchisake-onna (2008)
- The Slit-Mouthed Woman 0: The Beginning (2008)
Hanako-san of the Toilet
- Hanako (1995)
- Gakkou no Kaidan (1995)
- Shinsei toire no Hanako-san (1998)
Teketeke
- Teketeke (2009)
- Teketeke 2 (2009)
- Otoshimono (2006) is a variation of the legend
Other
- Kokkuri-san (1997)
Japanese TV Series based on Urban Legends
- The Kuchisake-OnnaKuchisake-onnaIn Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
legend appears in the Guren Onna TV series.
- An episode of Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi includes the Fatal Fare legend.
Manga and Anime
Several horror manga works, usually anthologies, contain the urban legends listed in this article, along with some more obscure rumours and original stories.Kuchi-sake Onna Manga
- Kuchi-sake Onna
- Kuchisake Onna Densetsu
Other legends
- Ghost Stories (Includes Aka MantoAka MantoAka Manto is a Japanese urban legend about a malicious spirit who haunts public and school toilets, who will ask you if you want red paper or blue paper. In some version he will ask you if you want a red or blue cape...
, Hanako-sanHanako-sanHanako-san or Toire no Hanako-san is a Japanese urban legend about a young girl who haunts school bathrooms. She will appear if you shout her name.-Legend:...
, Kokkuri-san and a variation of the Fatal Fare legend) The Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onnaIn Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
was also planned to make an appearance in episode 5 of the series, but it was banned after several complaints that her disfigurement looked too much like a cleft pallette.
- Hanako to Guuwa no Tera (Includes Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onnaIn Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
, Kokkuri-san, Teke TekeTeke TekeThe Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young woman, or school girl, who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe or a saw and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a...
and Hanako-sanHanako-sanHanako-san or Toire no Hanako-san is a Japanese urban legend about a young girl who haunts school bathrooms. She will appear if you shout her name.-Legend:...
as the titular character)
- Hell Teacher NūbēHell Teacher Nubeis a horror-comedy manga created by the collaborative efforts of writer and artist Takeshi Okano in Shueisha's manga anthology book Weekly Shōnen Jump. The series ran for 276 chapters from Issue 38, 1993 through Issue 24, 1999...
(Includes Hanako-sanHanako-sanHanako-san or Toire no Hanako-san is a Japanese urban legend about a young girl who haunts school bathrooms. She will appear if you shout her name.-Legend:...
, Teke TekeTeke TekeThe Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young woman, or school girl, who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe or a saw and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a...
, Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onnaIn Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
, and Jinmenken)
- Kibengakuha Yotsuya Senpai no Kaidan by Haruichi Furudate (Includes Kokkuri-san)
- In Pom PokoPom Pokois a 1994 Japanese animated film, the eighth written and directed by Isao Takahata and animated by Studio Ghibli.Consistent with Japanese folklore, the tanuki are portrayed as a highly sociable, mischievous species, able to use "illusion science" to transform into almost anything, but too...
, the tanukiTanukiis the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
pretend to be Noppera-boNoppera-boThe , or faceless ghost, is a Japanese legendary creature. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-bō are usually humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes...
to scare a midnight watchmen.
- School Zone by Inuki Kanako (Includes Kokkuri-san and a variation of the Teke TekeTeke TekeThe Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young woman, or school girl, who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe or a saw and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a...
legend)
- Franken FranFranken Fran-Track listing:# - # - # - # - # -...
(Has a character called Okita who is similar to the Jinmenken legend, except with the body of a cat rather than a dog, and includes a short parody of the Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onnaIn Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
legend in an extra of Volume 2)
- Toshi Densetsu (Includes the Kuchisake-onna)
See also
- Urban Legends
- Japanese folkloreJapanese folkloreThe folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...
- Japanese mythology in popular cultureJapanese mythology in popular cultureElements from Japanese folklore and mythology have appeared many times in popular culture.-Amanojaku:* There is a Japanese musical group called Amanojaku...
- KamiKamiis the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
- Onryo
- YokaiYokaiare a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
- YureiYureiare figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...