Japan has no shortage of ghost stories. In fact, the country is chock-full of supernatural legends involving everything from yūrei, vengeful spirits, haunted tunnels, and abandoned buildings. With such an ancient history, it’s no surprise some of these ghostly tales go back centuries. But quite a few of them are actually modern. Here are 8 places in Japan you might want to think twice about visiting at night.
Aokigahara Forest
The gorgeous Aokigahara forest sits just below Mount Fuji. Packed with dense tree cover, it is most unique for its floor of hardened lava from an ancient eruption. Despite its natural beauty, the forest has developed a reputation for being a place people go to commit suicide. This morbid reputation has led to stories of paranormal activity. Those who go there to hike say it is unnaturally quiet, likely due to the dense vegetation and porous volcanic ground. But visitors have also heard voices and felt the unsettling sensation of being followed. Japanese folklore describes a category of ghosts called yūrei, spirits who are still attached to the living world because they died with powerful emotions. Whether haunted or not, Aokigahara forest is a disturbing location.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is ancient and mysterious, and it is associated with one of Japan’s most famous legends. The story goes that a castle servant named Okiku was punished for losing one of 10 valuable plates. As punishment for misplacing the costly item, she was killed and tossed into a well. Perhaps due to her untimely death, her ghost supposedly haunts the castle at night. Today, the well associated with the legend still exists at Himeji Castle and visitors can tour it.
Sunshine 60
One of Tokyo’s best-known skyscrapers has a dark history, despite its modern design. In the case of this haunting, it is the land that’s to blame. Sunshine 60 was built where the Sugamo Prison once stood. After World War II, the prison was used to hold Japanese officials accused or convicted of war crimes, and several high-ranking men were executed there in 1948. The property now has a reputation for strange figures, noises, and causing eerie sensations. The contrast is notable because Sunshine City is now a busy shopping complex filled with restaurants and stores.
Sendagaya Tunnel
Tokyo’s Sendagaya Tunnel is connected to one especially creepy urban legend. Drivers going through the passage have reported glancing at their rearview mirror and seeing a woman seated in their back seat. Other versions of the story are slightly different, but they all involve a pale woman appearing unannounced and spooking drivers. The tunnel’s location adds another ghostly element: it is right beside a cemetery. Even skeptical drivers might be checking their back seat after passing through this tunnel.
Doryodo Ruins
The ruins of Doryodo in Hachioji became notorious due to real crimes. An elderly caretaker was murdered there during a robbery in 1963. A decade later, the body of a university student was found on the property. The isolated location seemed to be a popular place to commit brutal crimes. Over time, the temple ruins were said to be haunted. Visitors hear a woman’s voice and distressed crying. They also feel sudden dread at the site. The combo of true crime history and crumbling ruins only helped the ghost stories spread.
Oiran Buchi
Oiran Buchi, sometimes translated as Oiran Gorge, has ties to a gruesome legend. The story states that during Japan’s Sengoku period, dozens of prostitutes were killed so they would not reveal the location of a specific gold mine. The ghosts of the forgotten women are consequently said to haunt the area. As with many very old ghost stories, separating historical fact from made-up lore is difficult, but the legends have made the area extremely popular with ghost hunters.
Akasaka Weekly Mansion
A Tokyo apartment building is now famous for its nonliving residents. Former guests describe electrical problems, odd sensations, and humanoid shapes. One particularly spine-tingling story involved a woman who felt something stroking her while she was sleeping. This building’s reputation has even gone international thanks to paranormal TV shows. If you check into a room at the Akasaka Weekly Mansion, you may want to make sure it isn’t already occupied.
Round Schoolhouse
The abandoned Marumiya School, known as the Round Schoolhouse, is a circular building in Hokkaido that was left to deteriorate. It is legendary in the paranormal world, with tons of online stories, but reliable historical documentation about the hauntings is lacking. Still, those who sneak onto the property tell of forms appearing in windows and voices coming from empty rooms. Some even say the building is disorienting and visitors might struggle to find their way back out. Stories about people losing their minds inside the old school have also circulated online. Whether any of the stories are true or not, an isolated school slowly crumbling over the years doesn’t need ghosts to be creepy.