What is Aka Manto?
Aka Manto is an urban legend about a sinister figure in a red cape who appears and kidnaps or kills children. It is known as one of the oldest modern urban legends in Japan.
The Aka Manto scare of the early Showa era
In the late 1930s, a rumor spread among schoolchildren in Tokyo that “a monster in a red cape kidnaps children.” It spread so fast that it caused an uproar even reported in newspapers, and police are said to have investigated where the rumor came from. Theories link it with a picture-story show of the time or with news of real crimes, but its origin is not clear.
Aka Manto in the school toilet
Over time the story changed and came to be told as a school toilet ghost story. When you are in the toilet, a voice asks, “Do you want a red cape?” or “Red paper or blue paper?” If you answer “red,” you are covered in blood; if you answer “blue,” your blood is drained and you die pale blue. Together with Hanako-san of the toilet, it is a classic toilet ghost story.
