Waterside stories
Shadows on the surface and voices from below: stories of rivers, seas, lakes and wells.
The Old Capital, Voice of the Yokai
Kyoto
This is something I heard from a friend of a friend, so there's no way to verify it… but take it for what it is, and hear me out. There was a woman in Kyoto, they say — a woman named Kana (加奈). She was in her late twenties, working at a company somewhere near Karasuma. It was her habit to walk home along the Kamo River every evening. The air along the river at night is different from the daytime,
The Shadow Legend of Haeundae, Busan
Busan
Let me tell you something about Busan today. You know Haeundae. That beach — the one so packed in summer you can barely find a place to stand, umbrellas and floaties everywhere. Well, among the people who've lived there a long time, there's a story that quietly makes the rounds. They say don't walk that beach alone after dark. Not just be careful — genuinely, absolutely, never walk it alone. I h
The Shadow of Dotonbori
Osaka
This is a story I heard in Dotonbori, down in Osaka. Well, I heard it from a friend of a friend, so there's no way to verify any of it. But it's a strange enough tale that I thought you might want to hear it all the same. His name was Kenji (健二). Second year of university, apparently. It happened at the end of autumn, on a rainy night. He'd been out drinking with friends in Namba, and on the wa
The Last Visitor of Garosu-gil
Seoul
By day, Seoul's Garosu-gil hums with life — sleek cafés, boutiques, the easy confidence of a street that knows it is admired. But when night falls over the city's most fashionable avenue, something else stirs. A rumour, a story, a thing that moves through the dark between the trees. Some years ago, a couple used to walk that road. They had left a café late one evening and were making their way al
The Cursed Warehouse on the Yodogawa
Osaka
Along the banks of the Yodogawa in Osaka stands an old warehouse that has been left to rot for as long as anyone can remember. The locals give it a wide berth. They whisper that something wicked has taken up residence there. Come nightfall, a thin mist is said to gather around the building, and an unnatural silence settles over everything nearby. Now and then, people claim to hear a low, guttural
The Han River's Whisper
Seoul
The Han River flows carrying countless legends and dark tales within it. Of these, the story most people turned away from was the whisper that rose from the river's deepest depths. It hinted at something beneath the surface that never slept — even as the Han held Seoul in its long, slow embrace. Late one night, Jisu stood at the riverbank watching moonlight ripple across the water when he heard i
The Cursed Tower of Fukuoka
Fukuoka
In the heart of Fukuoka lies Nakasu, a district that draws crowds well into the small hours, alive with noise and neon. Yet a short distance from all that clamour, half-hidden from the street, stands an old building. The locals who know of it call it the Red Tower, and they speak of it in lowered voices. The Red Tower was once a place of commerce and ambition. Shops and offices filled its floors,
Whispers of the Valley
Busan
On the outskirts of Busan, there lies a small valley that human feet have not touched in a very long time. The locals call it the Valley of Whispers, and they give it a wide berth. Rumors have long circulated of a voice heard there — low and mournful, hovering just at the edge of hearing whenever someone passed through at dusk. Long ago, it is said, a small village stood in that valley. Each spri
The Shadow of Haeundae
Busan
Let me tell you something about Busan. Haeundae — you know it. If you've been during the day, you know what it looks like. The beach stretching out endlessly, the hotel lights shimmering across the water. But at night, they say, it's different. After the crowds drain away, that wide stretch of sand doesn't just go quiet — something changes. The air changes. It's hard to explain, but this is what
The Fox's Whisper and the Midnight Lake
Fukuoka
Well — this is something I heard from someone else. I can't say for certain how much of it is true, since I never looked into it myself. But I've heard the same story from more than a few people now, so I thought I'd share it with you tonight. There's a mountain in Fukuoka called Aburayama. During the day it's perfectly ordinary — families spreading out picnic blankets, children running around,
Why You Must Never Leave Yeongdo
Yeongdo Bongnaesan, Yeongdo Grandmother Rock
I have a story for you — something that drifts through the streets of Yeongdo, in Busan. I heard it from someone, but apparently most people who were born and raised on Yeongdo already know it. Up on Bongnaesan, there's a rock they call Grandmother Rock. Just an old stone, by the look of it — but the people of Yeongdo have never seen it as just that. The grandmother, they say, welcomes those who
Gayangnyeok Mystery: The Vanishings
Gayang Station
God, should I even be telling this… I mean it. When I first heard this, I couldn't bring myself to take Gayang Station for a long time. I'm serious. This is something I heard — I can't swear to all of it — but apparently in 2022, three people disappeared near Gayang Station. Not just disappeared, though. The CCTV caught every one of them going in. But none of them ever came out. Not anywhere. Not
The Yeongdeung Grandmother of Chilmeoridang at Sarabong
Sarabong, Jeju City, Chilmeoridang
I'd like to share something I heard while I was in Jeju. I can't say for certain how much of it is true. I heard it from someone who used to live there, and she said she'd heard it from her own mother. So where the truth ends and the story begins, I honestly couldn't tell you. I'm only passing it along. They say that when the second lunar month comes, the Yeongdeung Grandmother rises from the se
The Ritual Prohibition of the Gangnam Dokkaebi Ground
An office building in Gangnam
Ah, should I even be telling this… It didn't happen to me directly, but the person who told me was shaking so badly that something shifted in me too, after that day. You want to hear it? Right in the middle of Gangnam. You know those sleek office buildings near the station — glass facades, lobbies polished to a shine. An IT company moved into one of the upper floors. They'd been out on the outski
The Misfortune of Unit 404, a Certain Apartment in Gangnam
An apartment complex in Gangnam
What I have to tell you today is... a story about an apartment somewhere in Gangnam. I'd rather not say exactly where. Just — from what I heard, it's one of those mixed-use luxury complexes with a name people recognize, even by Gangnam standards. Marble floors in the lobby, a security booth, the parking garage full of foreign cars. I can't say for certain, but apparently it was the kind of place
The Curse of the Back Alley in Shinsekai
Back alleys of Shinsekai
Hey, can I tell you something? There's a story going around Shinsekai in Osaka — one that's hard to just let pass. I can't say it's been verified. But I've heard the same thing from several different people, so maybe there's something to it. It happened last autumn, apparently. A man in his thirties who'd come to Osaka on business. His name — well, let's just call him K. After finishing up his
Gion: The Well Hidden Beneath the Tatami
Old teahouses and traditional restaurants of Gion
Can I tell you something? It's a story from Gion. I can't vouch for any of it myself, so please — take it as nothing more than something I once heard. The old teahouses and restaurants in that part of the city have centuries soaked into their walls. The latticed facades, the cobblestones, the paper lanterns burning low in the dark — people say those places wear a different face at night than the
The Disappearance in the Tanzawa Mountains
Tanzawa Mountains (especially around Yamanokamitunnel)
Would you mind hearing me out for a bit? This is a story about the Tanzawa mountains. Those peaks out in Kanagawa. I can't say I've verified any of it myself, but there are people who talk about this sort of thing. Apparently, deep in those mountains, there's a place the locals call the "Mountain God Tunnel." Word has it that for as long as anyone can remember, there's been an understanding arou
Couples Who Ride the Boats on Shinobazu Pond Always Break Up
Shinobazu Pond
Hey, can I tell you something? Do you know Shinobazu Pond? The one in Ueno Park, where lotus leaves drift across the water. During the day, couples row boats out there, laughing, looking so happy. It's a peaceful kind of place, really. But listen — just wait a moment. I heard this from a friend of mine. This friend knew a girl — I'll call her A. Not long after A started dating her boyfriend, th
The Blessing of the Kappa That Dwells in Kappabashi
Kappabashi, Sōgenji
Hey, are you listening? Tonight I want to tell you about Kappabashi. You know the kitchenware district, right? That street lined with commercial cookware, knives, plastic food samples — all of that. During the day it's lively, full of tourists, looks like any ordinary neighborhood. But. I heard this from someone… I can't say for certain it's true, but just — lend me your ear for a moment. This
The Ox-Demon That Descended Upon Sensō-ji
Sensōji, Sumida River
This is a story I heard told as something from long, long ago. From the Kamakura period, apparently. Apparently — because there's no way to verify it. But perhaps it's precisely because it can't be verified that it has been passed down all this time. There was a memorial service at Sensō-ji, they say. An autumn night, after the rain had stopped. Some fifty monks had gathered in the temple ground
The Cursed Road on the Site of Jūrinji Temple
Jūrinji (roads around the former site)
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Ikebukuro… I can't say for certain it's true. But I've heard that several elderly people who've lived in the area a long time have all told more or less the same story, so maybe there's something to it. Apparently there used to be a temple called Jūrinji. It's gone now. It was founded sometime during the Keian era — early Edo period — and for the longest
The Pillow-Turner's Room in Irabayashi
Irabayashi, Nagasaki City
…Hey, will you hear me out? It's a story they've been whispering about for years, around Irabayashi, in Nagasaki. I can't say I've confirmed any of it myself, so take it as rumour — nothing more. Irabayashi is that kind of place, you know. Steep slopes, old houses pressed close against their stone walls. Somewhere in that neighbourhood stood an old house where the same family had lived for gener
The Curse of the Bell of Sincerity on Gongen Hill
Gongenzan Observation Park
Well then, tonight I have a story from Nagasaki. There is a place called Nomo-machi. The southernmost tip of Nagasaki City, out toward the end of the peninsula. Some of you may have heard of a park there called Gongen Hill Observation Park. On a clear day you can see Gunkanjima from it, and the sea is the colour of paint laid on with a wide brush — a place of remarkable views, or so they say. In
The Bridge That Vanishes into the Forest: Taihakusan Second Bridge
Taebaeksan Second Bridge
This is a story I heard from someone up in Sendai. I never verified it myself, but it has the feel of a place that actually exists — the kind of place certain people know about, yet no one ever wants to discuss in any detail. Apparently, in Taihaku Ward in Sendai, there is a bridge called the Taihakusan Second Bridge. Just hearing the name, you'd think nothing of it. A perfectly ordinary bridge
The Missing Schoolgirl and the Last Phone Call
Muroran City
This is something I heard from someone else. There's no way to verify it — it came to me through a friend of a friend — but if you have any connection to Muroran, you may have come across it yourself. It was early spring, 2001, they say. That in-between season in Hokkaido, when dirty snow still clings to the edges of things. A girl who lived in Muroran, a second-year high schooler at the time.
The Severing Bridge of Dazaifu Tenmangu
Dazaifu Tenmangu
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Dazaifu Tenmangu… you know the place, famous as the shrine of learning. Come exam season, the ema plaques crowd every post, the sweet smell of umegae-mochi drifts all down the approach, and the whole place has this gentle, unhurried feeling to it. But. There are three bridges in the grounds, arching over the pond. Did you know? They're said to represent
The Great Serpent of Hebi-ike
Snake Pond
This is a story that still circulates in Nishi Ward, Nagoya — and apparently, a number of people have gone to verify it for themselves. Have you heard of Hebi-ike? Serpent Pond? Out near the Shonai River in Nishi Ward, there's a pond roughly a hundred metres across. Just as the name suggests, stories tied to serpents have been passed down there since very long ago. Ask any of the older locals, a
A Passage That Should Not Connect
Nanko pedestrian bridges and connecting passages
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Nanko. If you've ever used the pedestrian bridge over there, you probably know what I mean — that particular atmosphere it has. A corridor of concrete and steel, like some artificial walkway suspended in the air. Even in the daytime there's hardly anyone around, and your footsteps just echo and echo, and the whole place feels somehow… unmoored from the w
The Jizo of Uchikoshi Bridge
Uchikoshi Bridge (Minami Ward, Yokohama)
Hey, can I tell you something? I heard this from someone I know… and there's no way to verify it, so I can't say for certain it's true. But the look on her face when she told me — I just can't seem to forget it. Apparently there's a bridge called Uchikoshi Bridge, somewhere in the Minami ward of Yokohama. It's an old bridge, and if you look down from it, there's quite a deep ravine below. Every
The Legend of Yokohama's Three Towers
The Three Towers of Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building, Yokohama Customs, Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall) and surrounding viewpoints
Please, listen to this. There's a story that circulates in Yokohama. People say someone actually verified it. Are you familiar with the Three Towers of Yokohama? The "King" of the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building, the "Queen" of the Yokohama Customs House, the "Jack" of the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall. Three towers, long cherished as symbols of the harbor. There's a story that f
The Kappa Daimyojin of Kappabashi
Sōgenji (Kappabashi Dougu Street)
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Kappabashi — there's this story that's been nagging at me. You know that kitchen supply street, just a short walk from Ueno, the one crammed with pots and knives and everything else... I can't say for certain it's true, so take it as nothing more than a rumour. Someone told me they'd walked through Kappabashi alone at night. They'd stayed late at work, a
The Dragon of Ueno Toshogu That Drinks from the Pond
Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Shinobazu Pond
Now then, let me tell you something. You'll know the dragon carvings on the karamon gate at Ueno's Toshogu Shrine — one on either side. The dragon on the right faces upward; the one on the left faces down. Anyone who's come to pay their respects will have seen them at least once. The thing is — they say these are no mere ornaments. It's been said for a long time. Those dragons move at night. N
Mikuni Alley, Echoes of the Past
Mikuni Koji
Hey, will you hear me out? I came across a strange story — something about Ikebukuro. I can't say I've verified any of it, and I'm hazy on who told me in the first place… but there was something so unnervingly real about it that I haven't been able to let it go. Apparently, a short walk from Ikebukuro's east exit, there's an alley called Mikuni Alley. Maybe you've heard of it. It shouldn't be fa
Ikebukuro Station, and the Invitation of the Vanished Platform
Ikebukuro Station
Well then. Let me tell you a story about Ikebukuro. This is something I heard from someone else, so I can't verify it myself — whether it's true or not, I really couldn't say. What I can tell you is that this kind of story is making the rounds. Make of that what you will. It happened last autumn, apparently. A man who worked somewhere in Ikebukuro. I won't give his name, but by all accounts he w
The Sealed Well of the Old House in Seodaesin-dong
A certain Japanese-style house in Seodaesin-dong
Ah, should I even be telling this… I heard it firsthand, from someone who actually lives in that neighborhood. I can't swear to every detail, but it's about an old Japanese-style house somewhere up in Seodaesin-dong — the kind you find when you turn into one of those hillside alleys. Low roof, long eaves hanging down. Whether anyone still lives there, I honestly don't know. But that's the house.
Beneath Yeongdo Bridge, the Shadow of a Promise Never Kept
Yeongdo Bridge (Fortune-teller's Alley)
Let me tell you a story from Busan. You know Yeongdo Bridge. Near the southern end of that bridge, there used to be a place people called Fortune-Teller's Alley. It's changed a great deal now, but there's talk that something still lingers somewhere in that area. Hard to say for certain — but it's a story that keeps coming up among people who've spent a long time wandering those streets. This is
The Demon of Ichijō Modori Bridge and the Legend of Return
Ichijo Modori Bridge
……Well, this is something I heard from someone else, so I can't say how much of it is true. It came to me through an acquaintance of an acquaintance, and it's such a well-formed little story that I thought I'd pass it along to you, if you'll lend me your ear. In Kyoto, over the Horikawa River, there is a bridge called Ichijō Modori Bridge. Some of you may know it. It's been rebuilt into a neat, m
The Curse of the Inokashira Park Boats
Inokashira Onshi Park
Hey, are you listening? There's something I want to tell you — and I want to say it quietly, almost in a whisper. You know the story about the swan boats at Inokashira Park? If you've lived in Tokyo any length of time, you've probably heard it. Couples who ride together will break up. It gets passed around like an urban legend. But lately I've started to think this might not be the kind of story
The Haunted House of Samcheon-dong, Chuncheon
Chuncheon Samcheon-dong (site of a former haunted house)
Today I want to share a story that's been circulating around the Chuncheon area. It's about a house that used to stand in Samcheon-dong. They say it's been demolished now, but the people who know exactly where it stood still tend to avoid that stretch of road. Ask them why, and they all trail off without finishing their answer. From what I've heard, the house started getting a reputation about t
The Secret of the Wealthy Kim Household of Gyeongju
The Kim family mansion in a certain village in Gyeongju
Let me share a story that drifted in from the Gyeongju area. I can't say for certain how much of it is true. It's been circulating in that village for a very long time, so take it for what it is — just a story someone once told. On the outskirts of Gyeongju, in a small village, there was a family by the name of Kim. They claimed descent from the royal bloodline of Silla, and indeed, the pillars
The Waiting Woman of Saetgol
Jeonju Hanok Village Saetgol
Let me tell you something about Jeonju Hanok Village. In the daytime, it's a lovely place. Tourists crowd beneath the eaves of tiled rooftops, and the air is sweet wherever you go. But if you wander deeper into those alleyways, into the parts where people rarely set foot — there's a passage so narrow it has its own name: Saetgol. I've never been there myself. This is something I heard from someon
The Stopped Time in the Seikan Tunnel
Seikan Tunnel
…Would you mind listening for a moment? I cannot say for certain that any of this is true. I only mean to pass along what has been passed along — nothing more, nothing less. It concerns the Seikan Tunnel. That long, long undersea passage connecting Aomori to Hokkaido. From what I have heard, those who go in for late-night maintenance work sometimes experience something they cannot quite explain
The Hitchhiking Woman of Misaka Pass
Misaka Pass (Ghost Tunnel)
…Would you mind listening for a moment? I cannot say with any certainty. Only that, having served in these parts for so many years, certain stories find their way to my ears. In the telling and retelling, they may well have gathered embellishments. And yet, when I hear the same tale — the same details — from entirely separate people… I cannot help but feel that something must be there. It concer
The Ghost of the Candy Seller at Kōgenji
Kōgenji Temple
This is a story from Nagasaki. Kōgenji — perhaps some of you have heard of it. It is an old temple in Nagasaki City. And it is said that a tale has been passed down there, the tale of the candy seller's ghost. Similar stories exist throughout the country — they are called kosodate yūrei, the ghost that raises a child. But in Nagasaki, it is this particular story, tied to Kōgenji, that has been t
The Beckoning Jizō of the Beppai National Highway
Betsudai National Road (the beckoning Jizō)
Hey, are you listening? This is about that highway — the Beppai Kokudo, the one that runs between Oita and Beppu. People who know, know. But have you ever heard of it? The Beckoning Jizō. A friend told me this. There's no way to verify it, but it's been stuck in my head ever since, and I can't shake it. Her father sometimes had to drive that highway late at night for work. It was last autumn —
The Gateway to the Underworld: Inome Cave
Inome Cave (Inome-chō, Izumo City)
Hey, will you hear me out? There's a place in Izumo called Inome Cave. It's in Shimane Prefecture, in a little town called Inome-cho. At the edge of a small fishing village along the coast, a cave sits with its mouth hanging open. I can't say for certain, but… that cave is mentioned by name in the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki. In a document over a thousand years old. As Yomotsu Hirasaka — the slope to t
The Cursed Ruins of Kamome-sō
Kamome-sō (Hinomisaki, Taisha-chō, Izumo City)
Would you hear me out for a moment? In Shimane, west of Izumo Grand Shrine — there's a road that runs toward Hinomisaki, out near the cape — and somewhere along that far edge, there's said to be an abandoned inn called Kamome-sō. I only know this secondhand, so I can't vouch for any of it. Apparently it was an ordinary inn once. Some people say the sea was visible from the rooms, that the sunse
The Strange Occurrence at Oike Yuen Station
Ōike Yūen Station
…Would you mind listening for a moment? Somewhere deep in the mountains of Wakayama, there is said to be a station called Oike Yuen. I cannot speak to it with any certainty, but there are those who say that place carries something about it… something that sets it apart from an ordinary station. Almost no houses nearby. Nothing but a park built around a large pond — a place where the presence of
The Warning of the Mirror Well
Kōyasan Okunoin, the Mirror Well
This is a story I heard about two years ago, from someone who knew someone I knew. There's no way to verify it — and yet it was strangely, unsettlingly specific. Deep in the inner sanctuary of Kōyasan, there is said to be a well called the Mirror Well. Just past the Nakahashi bridge, along the stone-lantern-lined approach, there stands a small hall. And in the shadow that hall casts — quietly, s
What Lurks in the Ruin
Abandoned hotel cluster of Kinugawa Onsen
…This is a story I heard from someone. I cannot vouch for its truth. Only that such a thing is said to have happened — along that river. Along the hot spring stretch of the Kinugawa, there are still several large hotels standing as they were left — built during the bubble years, neither demolished nor restored, simply… remaining there, looking down over the river. The outer walls have gone dark w
The Count That Never Matches
The row of Jizō statues at Kanmangafuchi
…This is something I heard from someone else, mind you. In Nikkō, there is a place called Kanmangafuchi. Some of you may know it — a long row of stone Jizō statues standing quietly along the banks of the Daiya River. A hundred or more, perhaps many more, all seated in stillness upon moss-covered pedestals. The locals have called them the Bake-Jizō — the Phantom Statues — since time out of mind.
The Figure Standing on the Shore at Fujisawa
Fujisawa City coast (along National Route 134)
…Now, I cannot say with any certainty that this is true. It is simply something I heard from one of the people who visits this shrine, and I pass it along just as it was told to me. Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you. It concerns the shore at Fujisawa. If you have ever driven Route 134 at night, you will know how the smell of the sea thickens as the darkness deepens — that damp,
The Lost Time in the Enoshima Sea Caves
Enoshima Cave
This is something a friend of mine told me… there are parts I have no way of verifying, so please keep that in mind as you listen. It's about the caves at the far end of Enoshima — the Iwaya. Anyone who's been to that island will know what I mean. Once you pass through the great torii gate and make your way around to the back, it takes a good while. There are flights of stairs, crowds of people,
The Headless Woman of Inokashira Park
Inokashira Onshi Park
……Have you heard the story? About the pond at Inokashira. I cannot say with any certainty that it is true. Only — those who come to this place have told me the same sort of thing, time and again, and so I thought perhaps I ought to pass it along. Just a little of it. It happened, so I am told, toward the end of one autumn. The hour when the bustle of Kichijoji had finally quieted, and the last
The Curse of the Inokashira Park Rowboats
Inokashira Onshi Park
Hey, can I tell you something? There's this story about Inokashira Park that's been bothering me. I can't say for certain it's true, but… I just need to tell someone. It was last autumn, I think — that's when I heard it, anyway. A friend of a friend's story. A couple in their twenties, together about six months, still happy with each other, who spent a weekend afternoon riding one of the swan bo
The Echo That Lingers on Ueno Hill
Ueno Onshi Park (especially around Chikemuri-zaka)
……Would you care to hear it? This is a tale I have come across many times, serving as I do within the grove of Ueno. I cannot vouch for its truth. And yet, when the same story emerges from the lips of different people, in nearly the same form, one cannot help but feel that something lies behind it. It happened on an autumn night, so I am told. The last trains had long since gone, and a fine driz
The Shadow Lurking in Shinobazu Pond
Shinobazu Pond
Would you mind hearing me out for a moment? This didn't happen to me directly, you understand… it's something I heard last autumn from an acquaintance who works in Ueno. There's no way to verify any of it, so whether you believe it is entirely up to you. This acquaintance — I'll call him K — works at one of the museums in Ueno. He went through a stretch where the overtime never seemed to end, an
The Child Who Vanished at Wolmido
Wolmido Amusement Park
God, I don't even know if I should be telling this. When I first heard it, I kept stopping under every streetlight on the way home. Checking whether there was a second shadow moving alongside mine. That's the kind of story this is. It's something I heard secondhand. A friend of an older girl I know — she heard it straight from the source. And this older girl, apparently she's the type who shrugs
The Hanged Dead of Bangbang Intersection
An office near Baengbaeng Intersection
This was a while back… well, not that long ago, really. Maybe five years, maybe six. You know Bangbang Intersection in Gangnam — there's an office building somewhere near there, and this is a story I heard from someone who used to work inside it. They said they couldn't give me their name. What if someone who knew them happened to hear it, they said. But they were shaking so badly while they told
The Gangnam Apartment That Ruins Celebrities
A certain luxury apartment in Gangnam
Ah, should I even be saying this… It didn't happen to me directly, I just heard it from someone — but the person telling it was so dead serious that I got chills without even meaning to. I can't say for certain, but it's about a luxury apartment right in the heart of Gangnam. I won't say the name. Apparently, people who know just know. The building itself looks completely respectable. Marble in t
The Curse of the Mannequins on Daemosan
Mount Daemo
Let me tell you something that happened over in Gangnam. Daemosan — you know it. A mountain right in the middle of Seoul, the kind of place where locals go for evening walks and morning exercise. Perfectly ordinary, in the daylight. But I heard something strange about that mountain. Mannequins. Hanging from the trees. The person who first told me this story said that one evening, a few years ba
The Grudge That Sleeps at the Bottom of Uogiri Dam
Uokiri Dam
Hey, can I tell you something? In Hiroshima, out in Saeki Ward… there's a place called Uogiri Dam. Have you heard of it? I don't know much about it myself, but a little while ago someone told me a story. They said they'd heard it from someone else, so I can't say how much of it is true… but I haven't been able to get it out of my head. A friend of this person was into photography. Loved shootin
The Fireball That Wanders the Temple Grounds
Around Daianji Temple and Byakugoji Temple
…Would you mind listening, just for a moment? I cannot say with any certainty that it is true. Only that, in my years of service at this shrine, such stories find their way to me from time to time. Seen here, heard from so-and-so. Tonight I would like to pass one of them along to you. It concerns a place just east of Daian-ji. You may know the old road that leads toward Byakugō-ji — the narrow p
The Fox Possession at the Ruined Shrine
Shirakodai Shrine
Hey, are you listening? This is about Nara… I can't vouch for any of it personally, so just take it as something I heard from someone else. There's apparently an abandoned shrine out there — Shirataka Daijin, I think it's called — not too far from the city center. The story goes it used to be a training ground for some new religious movement, but now nobody tends to it. The torii rotted away lon
The Handprints of Mizunomori Park
Mori no Mizu Park
……This is a story I heard some time ago. I cannot say whether it is true, and who told it to me has grown hazy, like something glimpsed through fog…… Even so, it is a story I find I cannot leave unspoken. Are you aware that there is a public restroom in Mizunomori Park, in Sendai? It is a quiet park, thick with trees — the kind of place where, during the day, parents stroll with their children,
The White Hands of the Reservoir
Nishioka Water Source
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Nishioka Reservoir, in Sapporo. Some of you might already know the place — there are stories about it, whispered around the city for years. The kind of stories that don't quite go away. It's a green, quiet spot. Families come during the day, apparently. There's a pond, trees pressing in on all sides, a faint marshy quality to the air. But for a long time
The Parting Curse of Ikuta Shrine
Ikuta Shrine
You know Ikuta Shrine, I imagine. It sits quietly tucked away right beside Sannomiya in Kobe — that bustling, noisy district. They say it's known as a shrine of love and marriage, the sort of place where young couples stroll the approach together on weekends. And yet… this is something I heard. They say that couples who visit together will break up. Some of you might laugh and call it the usua
The Vanishing Passenger of Midorogaike
Fukamidoike
This is something I heard a little while ago from a driver I know — I can't say for certain it's true, so please take it with that in mind. Up in the northern part of Kyoto, there's a place called Midorogaike. During the day it's an ordinary enough pond, but at night, when you pass by, something about it shifts. The water comes right up to the edge of the road, the streetlights are few and far be
The Boy at Yoshinami Tunnel
Old Zennami Tunnel
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about the old Yoshinami Tunnel, out in Kanagawa… This came to me through a friend of a friend, so I can't say how much of it is true. But once I heard it, I couldn't shake it. Apparently the tunnel isn't used anymore. It sits there, mouth open, along an old mountain road that nobody takes. Even in daylight it's dark inside, and even in summer the air goes cold
The Demon Hag of Ubagaike
Hanakawado Park / Ubagaike
Now then, the tale I have for you today is… a tale from Asakusa. Just a short walk from Senso-ji — no more than five minutes on foot — there is a small park called Hanakawado Park. Those of you who know the area will be familiar with it, I'm sure. Tucked away inside that park sits a single man-made pond. They call it Ubagaike — the Old Woman's Pond. In the light of day, it's nothing remarkable.
The Labyrinth Beneath Ikebukuro Station, and the Platform That Vanished
Underground Ikebukuro Station
…Would you mind listening, just for a moment? I cannot say with any certainty that what I am about to tell you is true. Only — I have heard the same story, or something very like it, from several people who have come to this shrine. And so I thought I ought to pass it along, quietly, just as it was told to me. It concerns the underground levels of Ikebukuro Station. That station runs very deep,
The Curse of the Ikebukuro Shimentoson
Ikebukuro Shimenzoto
Hey, can I tell you something? It's about Ikebukuro… just hear me out for a minute. So, apparently there's a stone monument called the "Shimentoson" — the Four-Faced Tower — just a short walk from Ikebukuro Station. Old, and small. Did you know about it? I didn't, until recently, but when I looked into it, I found something that made my skin crawl. Back in the Edo period, that whole area was no
The Curse of Sunshine 60 and the Old Sugamo Prison
Sunshine City / Higashi-Ikebukuro Chuo Park
This is something I heard secondhand. I can't vouch for any of it. You know Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro — that building? The sixty-story one you can see from miles away. There are whispers, fairly persistent ones, that the land it stands on was once a prison called Sugamo. After the war, Class-A war criminals were held there. Executed there, too. And on top of that ground, the building now stands.
The Sound of Surf Beneath Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku Station
Can I tell you something? It's about Shinjuku — no way to verify any of it, mind you, came to me through a friend of a friend of a friend… whether you believe it is entirely up to you. Apparently this happened last autumn. A man in his twenties — let's call him K. A drinking party ran long, and before he knew it he'd missed the last train. He found himself stranded somewhere around the South Exi
The Man-Eating Pine of Udagawacho
Udagawacho (near Kitatani Inari Shrine)
…This is something I heard. Whether it is true, I really cannot say. There was, they say, a pine tree in Udagawacho. Somewhere along the approach to Kitatani Inari Shrine, or so I was told. It had already been standing there by the early years of the Showa era, apparently. The spread of its branches was magnificent — a great tree that drew the eye from a considerable distance. And yet, if you st