In Japan, there are “scary stories” that everyone has heard at least once during their childhood. After-school at school, the empty music room, the bathroom at night, a taxi on a rainy night. Since the 2000s, new urban legends born from internet forums and social media have also spread.
Did they really happen, or are they just rumors...? There’s no way to know for sure.
In this article, we’ll introduce some of Japan’s most famous urban legends as short ghost stories you can read in one minute.
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【Showa Retro Horror】Urban Legends from Schools and Street Corners (11 Stories)
When it comes to classic Japanese urban legends, school ghost stories are a staple. The restroom, the music room, the science lab, the classroom after school... Because these are places right next to our everyday lives, there’s a unique fear in imagining, “Maybe there’s something like this at my own school.”
These kinds of ghost stories also appear in various forms in Japanese anime and manga, such as Hell Teacher Nube, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, and Dandadan. School ghost stories are an essential part of understanding Japanese horror culture.
1. Hanako-san of the Toilet
After school, in the girls’ bathroom of an empty school building.
Knock three times on the third stall and call out, “Hanako-san, are you there?”
If there’s no answer, it’s just a rumor.
But if you hear a small voice from inside saying, “Yes”...?
You must not open that door. Behind it is a girl with a bob haircut and a red skirt. Some say she’s a ghost who haunts the school, others say she’s a girl who died there long ago.
Hanako-san doesn’t appear in any special place. She’s in an ordinary school restroom—the kind found in any school.
2. Kokkuri-san
On a white sheet of paper, write “Yes,” “No,” the Japanese hiragana syllabary, the numbers 0 to 9, and a torii gate symbol.
Place a 10-yen coin on top, and with several people lightly touching it, call out:
“Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please come.”
At first, everyone laughs, thinking someone is moving the coin. But soon, the 10-yen coin begins to move slowly, as if by no one’s will.
Kokkuri-san is said to answer anything—your crush’s name, the future, hidden secrets. It’s considered a kind of spirit-summoning ritual.
However, it is also said that you must never remove your finger from the coin midway, never fool around, and always make sure Kokkuri-san leaves properly at the end.
There is no guarantee that what you summoned for fun will actually go back where it came from.
3. Red Paper, Blue Paper
What would you do if you ran out of toilet paper in the school restroom?
As you’re troubled, you hear a voice from somewhere.
“Do you want red paper? Or blue paper?”
If you choose the red paper, your whole body will be soaked in blood.
If you choose the blue paper, your blood will be drained and you’ll turn completely blue.
No matter which you choose, you won’t survive—it’s a cruel dilemma. In some regions, there are also stories about “white paper” or “yellow paper,” but there’s no guarantee that any answer will save you.
If you’re ever forced to choose by an unknown voice in the restroom, perhaps the best thing is not to answer at all.
4. The Music Room After School
After school, you hear the sound of a piano coming from somewhere in the school building.
When you go to the music room, there’s no one there.
And yet, the keys are pressing down by themselves, and the music continues. The portrait of Beethoven hanging on the wall seems to be staring intently at whoever walks in.
“In the evening, the eyes of the portraits in the music room move.”
“The piano plays even though no one is there.”
Such rumors are a staple of Japanese school ghost stories. The music room, bright and lively during the day, takes on a completely different atmosphere as dusk falls.
5. The Anatomy Model in the Science Room
In the past, it was common for Japanese schools to have an anatomical model standing in the corner of the science room.
During the day, it’s used as a teaching aid, but at night, there are rumors that it runs through the school corridors.
The anatomical model, with its bones and organs exposed, clatters down the hall. Some say it will chase you if you make eye contact, or that it’s searching for missing organs.
The science room is full of things that can seem a bit creepy to children: specimens, skeleton models, shelves of chemicals. That’s probably why the science room at night is such a common setting for ghost stories.
6. Teke Teke
A girl with no lower body crawls along the ground using only her arms, making an eerie “teke-teke” sound as she chases after you at incredible speed.
This apparition, known as Teke Teke, is said to be the ghost of a girl who lost her lower half in a train accident.
Those who fail to escape are said to be cut in half, just like her.
The terror of Teke Teke lies in her speed. Even without legs, she’s faster than a running person. The moment you look back, her face might already be right there.
If you hear a dry, rattling sound behind you along the tracks or on a dark road at night, never look back.
7. Jinmenken (The Human-Faced Dog)
A mysterious dog appears on highways at night and in the back alleys of busy downtown districts.
Its body is that of a dog, but its face is human.
Rumors have spread about it running as fast as cars, crouching in garbage dumps, and, when spoken to, replying in human language, “Leave me alone.”
Rather than a terrifying monster, the Human-Faced Dog is known for its air of melancholy. Some say it is the spirit of a person who died in an accident, while others claim it is a creature born from an experiment.
If you ever see a dog with a human face on a night road, do not chase after it. Perhaps all it wants is to be left alone.
8. Mary-san
A girl once threw away an old doll.
That night, the phone rang.
“It’s me, Mary-san. I’m at the garbage dump now.”
After a while, the phone rings again.
“It’s me, Mary-san. I’m in front of your house now.”
With each call, Mary-san gets closer—to your front door, then the stairs, then right outside your room. And finally, she says:
“It’s me, Mary-san. I’m right behind you now.”
The doll that was supposed to have been thrown away comes back. This is a terrifying story about the resentment of something that was discarded and forgotten, creeping closer through each phone call.
9. The Red Chanchanko
In school bathrooms or hallways, you might suddenly hear a voice.
“Shall I put a red chanchanko on you?”
A chanchanko is a sleeveless traditional Japanese jacket worn for warmth. In Japan, red chanchanko are associated with celebrations such as a baby's birth or milestone birthdays for the elderly, but in this ghost story, it takes on a completely different, terrifying meaning.
If you answer “yes,” your back will be slashed open and you’ll be left covered in blood, as if you’re wearing a red chanchanko.
Some versions say that even if you answer “no,” you won’t be spared.
In Japanese ghost stories, the more gentle the words sound, the more dangerous the trap may be.
10. Facing Mirrors and Murasaki Kagami
Mirrors are a common motif in Japanese ghost stories.
It is said that if you place two mirrors facing each other at midnight, creating an infinite reflection, you will see your own dead face or your future self reflected. Since ancient times, mirrors have been feared as objects that connect this world and the next.
Another famous example is the cursed phrase “Murasaki Kagami.”
This urban legend says that if you remember this phrase until you turn 20, you will be cursed with misfortune or even die.
Even though it’s just a phrase, the more you try to forget it, the more it sticks in your mind. The true horror of this story is that, once you’re told “You must not remember it,” you can’t get it out of your head.
11. “If Only You Had Died”
While driving alone at night, a person suddenly appears in front of your car.
Startled, the driver slams on the brakes, but the person they just saw is nowhere to be found.
Looking ahead, the road is broken, and if the person hadn’t appeared, the driver might have crashed and lost their life.
Miraculously saved, the relieved driver thinks, “It was thanks to the ghost that appeared,” and turns back in gratitude.
At that moment, a low voice speaks in the driver's ear.
“It would have been better if you had died.”
This is a chilling story in which a single unexpected sentence shatters the driver's relief in an instant.
[Modern Urban Legends] 5 Terrifying Stories Born from Internet Forums
Since the 2000s, Japanese scary stories have also spread through the internet. “Realistic experiences that seem like true stories” posted on anonymous forums and submission sites are retold and analyzed by internet users, eventually becoming new urban legends.
The following are some of Japan's most famous internet horror stories, many of which have gained international attention.
12. Kisaragi Station
Late at night, you think you’re on your usual train, but for some reason, you arrive at an unfamiliar, deserted station.
The station’s name is “Kisaragi Station.” There’s no timetable, and there’s no sign of anyone around.
Your cell phone works, but the station doesn't appear on any map app or GPS service. Even if you walk along the tracks, you can’t return to your original world. Eventually, you hear the sound of drums and bells, and someone unknown begins to approach…
Kisaragi Station” is a ghost story born from a real-time post on an internet message board about becoming stranded at a station that doesn't exist. The scary part isn’t being attacked by a monster. It’s the idea that your usual way home might unknowingly lead you to another world.
13. Kunekune
Across the rice fields, you see something white standing there.
It looks somewhat human, but even though there’s no wind, its body moves in a wavy, undulating motion—“kunekune.”
As long as you only watch it from a distance, you're safe…
But don’t let your curiosity get the better of you—never try to look at it closely with binoculars or anything like that.
It is said that if you see its true form clearly, your mind will break instantly.
What exactly is “Kunekune”?
14. Hachishaku-sama
At his grandparents’ house in the countryside, a boy sees a very tall woman.
She is wearing a white dress and is about eight shaku tall (roughly 2.4 meters). She also makes a strange voice like a man, saying, “Po, po, po…”
His family turns pale.
“That’s Hachishaku-sama. If she finds you, she’ll take you away.”
It is said that once a child is targeted by Hachishaku-sama, she will pursue them no matter how much they try to escape.
You hear her voice outside the window. You sense someone walking around the house. Whatever you do, never look back.
This is a ghost story where the bright, peaceful countryside suddenly transforms into a place of inescapable fear.
15. Hitori Kakurenbo (One-Man Hide and Seek)
You put rice and clippings from your own fingernails inside a stuffed toy, then sew it up with red thread.
You call the stuffed toy by your own name, submerge it in the bathtub, turn off all the lights at 3 a.m., and begin a game of hide-and-seek.
“Hitori Kakurenbo” is known as a dangerous ritual or spell that spread online. If you follow the ritual exactly, it is said that a spirit will possess the stuffed toy, and it will come looking for you with a knife.
You’re supposed to be alone in the house, but if you start hearing static on the TV, noises in the hallway, or approaching footsteps…
As “the game you should never play,” accounts from people attempting it in real time have terrified internet users for years.
16. The Taxi Passenger
On a rainy night, a young woman gets into a taxi.
After telling the driver her destination, she quietly sits in the back seat.
As they approach the destination, the driver glances back—only to find the seat empty, with nothing left but a wet spot where she sat.
The "vanishing passenger" is a classic ghost story told as a true account among taxi drivers all over Japan.
The setting—a rainy night, an empty road, and a taxi driver working alone—gives the story an unsettling sense of realism.
Some versions say the destination was a place where a major accident once occurred, or even a cemetery.
Perhaps she is still searching for her way home.
[Stories That Become Scary Once You Understand Them] Test Your Insight…
Finally, here’s a story that will send chills down your spine—once you realize its true meaning.
Short Story: The Friend Outside the Window
One night, while studying in their room, someone saw their friend waving from outside the window.
They sent a message: "What are you doing here at this hour?" and got an immediate reply.
"Sorry, let me in. My phone’s about to die."
But as they was about to open the window, they suddenly stopped.
This was the 8th floor of an apartment building.
Explanation
There’s no way the friend could be standing outside the window.
Was it really their friend, or "something" that just looked like them? If they had opened the window, what would have entered the room…?
Summary: Are Urban Legends True Stories? Come to Japan and Find Out
Japanese urban legends aren’t just scary. Schools, restrooms, train stations, taxis, country roads, old dolls—these stories are born from the everyday sights and objects you’ll find anywhere in Japan.
That’s why, after reading them, you might find yourself glancing around just a little more carefully…
No one knows for sure if these stories really happened.
But when you travel in Japan, you might suddenly remember these tales in a quiet alley, an old school building, or a taxi on a rainy night.
In that moment, urban legends become more than just rumors—they become real stories that feel surprisingly close to home. Be sure to experience the spine-tingling atmosphere hidden in everyday Japan for yourself.
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