Modern rumors of uncertain origin that spread by word of mouth and over the internet.
Entries: 73
An urban legend of an old woman who runs along expressways and through tunnels at over 100 km/h, overtaking cars. It spread in the 1990s from around Mount Rokko in Hyogo Prefecture and elsewhere, and is known by many names in different regions.
The best-known Japanese school ghost story: knock on the third stall of a school toilet and call her name, and a voice answers "Yes." She became famous nationwide during the school ghost story boom of the 1990s.
A school ghost story in which the anatomical model in the science room comes to life at night and runs around the halls. It is a staple of the "seven wonders of the school," told alongside the skeleton and the music room portraits.
A spirit-summoning ritual born on the internet, in which you play hide and seek alone with a stuffed toy. It spread on message boards around 2006, with many live reports. It is a heavy mental strain and should not be tried.
A mysterious being in the form of a palm-sized middle-aged man, said to be seen in rooms and parks. It became a topic from the late 2000s when celebrities told of seeing one on TV.
An urban legend of a dog with a human face that appears in city streets and on expressways at night and speaks human words. It spread explosively among children all over Japan around 1989–1990.
A form of divination and spirit summoning in which a 10-yen coin moves across a sheet of written characters to answer questions. It became popular when Western "table turning" reached Japan in the Meiji era, and it was a huge craze among children in the 1970s.
Time-slip experiences told on the TV program Yarisugi Toshi Densetsu by the comedian Chuei of Nagareboshi and others: in 2008 and 2018, fog filled the streets of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, at night, and they wandered into shops that seemed to be from around 1980. Follow-up reports also discussed a parallel-world theory.
An urban legend about a train that arrives at "Kisaragi Station," a station that does not exist. It was posted live on an internet message board in 2004 and was made into a film in 2022.
A story of a terrifying cursed box that kills only children and women. It comes from an account posted to an internet message board in 2005 and is known as one of the most frightening of Japan's internet horror stories.
A scary story from the internet about a white thing wriggling in the distance across summer rice fields. Those who understand what it is are said to lose their minds. It spread on message boards in the early 2000s.
A scary story born on the internet about a woman eight shaku (about 2.4 m) tall in a white dress who targets young men while making an eerie "po po po" sound. Posted on a message board in 2008, it became one of Japan's defining internet horror stories.
An urban legend about a woman in a surgical mask who asks "Am I pretty?" and then reveals a mouth slit from ear to ear. It spread among children all over Japan around 1979.
