Scary places in Japan. Scary and strange stories from Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun is not only about skyscrapers, high tech and an ancient culture with interesting customs and unique traditions. It is also a country of mystical secrets, terrifying superstitions and anomalous zones. One of those that Japan can “boast” of is the Aokigahara suicide forest, which regularly finds itself in the ratings of the most terrible places on the planet.
Aokigahara National Park
The infamous forest is located at the foot of Mount Fuji near the Japanese capital. This is a fairly young natural formation, which appeared twelve centuries ago after the destructive eruption of Fuji in the middle of the 9th century. The frozen magma formed a plateau, which was gradually covered with a layer of soil and overgrown with trees and shrubs. Translated from Japanese, Aokigahara means “plain of blue trees.” The second name of the forest is Jukai (“sea of trees”).
The mysterious, unearthly beauty of the forest is given by the unusual roots of plants, which, unable to break through the petrified lava, come to the surface and form bizarre intricacies. The plateau on which the forest grows is riddled with faults, cracks and cavities, forming numerous karst sinkholes and caves.
Officially, Aokigahara Forest is a national park with all the necessary attributes - picnic clearings, parking areas and hiking trails. IN national park there are several famous caves, dense coniferous forests and boxwood thickets, clean mountain air and amazing views of the main Japanese peak - Mount Fuji.
The forest has gained notoriety since time immemorial. There is a legend that the poor took seriously ill people, old people and small children who were a burden to the family into the forest, and left them there to certain death. Since then, restless souls have innocently dead people wander through the forest and lie in wait for lonely travelers in the hope of avenging their suffering.
According to Shintoism, only the souls of those who die a natural death can reunite with their ancestors after life. Those people who suffered a violent death or committed suicide are doomed to eternal wandering in search of peace in the form of disembodied ghosts - yurei. Eyewitnesses say that they have encountered these transparent ghosts in the forest with unnaturally long upper limbs and hellish flames in empty eye sockets.
The forest still asks riddles today. It’s really easy to get lost in the dense thickets, but it’s very difficult to get back. Orientation by compass will not help here - in this anomalous zone his arrow performs tricks, randomly changing its position.
Unfortunately, it was not the majestic nature or even the ghosts that made Aokigahara one of the most famous and sad sights in Japan. This place ranks second on the list of most popular places for suicide after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA.
Japan is a country where the culture of so-called revered suicides developed in ancient times. Methods of suicide have a long history and tradition:
- seppuku - samurai ritual suicide;
- tokkotai - military volunteer suicide bombers;
- shinju - simultaneous suicide of lovers;
- self-mummification of monks of some Buddhist schools;
- mass and family suicides.
In modern times, voluntary death continues to be a popular way to solve any problems - job loss, divorce, retirement, unhappy love, atonement for family, company, sports team.
As for Aokigahara, it is unknown why this particular forest became so attractive to those who decided to commit suicide. Maybe the forest really has strong negative energy, or the magnetic anomaly has a certain effect on consciousness, or maybe the bad reputation of the forest attracts people with an unbalanced psyche. Not the least role is played by books and films, the heroes of which go on their last journey along the paths of Aokigahara. In 1993, a manual for suicides was published, where Aokigahara is recommended as perfect place for suicide.
If a curious tourist nevertheless dares to turn off the path, he will easily find terrible traces of the misfortunes that have occurred - the remains of barrier tape left by the police, packaging of medicines, bags, mobile phones. Authorities organize annual raids to search for bodies.
Active measures are being taken to save potential suicides - signs with a helpline are posted on all trails, video surveillance and patrols are conducted, stores in nearby villages do not sell medicines, ropes and other items that could serve as a weapon for suicide, local residents report the appearance of suspicious people to the police. But despite this, the number of suicides increases every year and reaches 100 people a year.
Japan, where the suicide forest is located, occupies one of the leading positions among the countries of the world not only in terms of development and living standards, but also in the number of suicides committed by its citizens. The Japanese are often called a “suicide nation.” The reason, perhaps, lies not only in historical background, but also in the subtleties of the Japanese mentality, the important role of society, which requires humility, hard work and obedience from people and sometimes places unbearable demands on them.
Today we will go to the Land of the Rising Sun! But not to watch the sunrise, but to look at the strangest places and sights you have ever seen. If you still thought that Japan is only megacities with skyscrapers and imperial palaces, then many surprises await you.
10. Cat Island
Let's start with one of the most unusual places. Located on Tashiro Island (), Cat Island, as its name suggests, is home to a huge number of cats! No cat lover should miss a trip to Cat Island during their trip to Japan!
9. Yoro Park
Created by New York artist, designer and architect Shusaku Arakawa, who calls his brainchild "The Place of Reversible Destiny", this park will reveal the most unexpected things to you!
8. Okunoshima Island
We have already visited the island of cats, and now it’s time to visit! Home to over 300 adorable creatures!
7. Nagoro Village
Nagoro Village was once home to thousands of people, but over time, more and more residents left the area in search of a better life, making the village a quiet and eerie place.
So some locals decided to turn the empty village into a popular tourist attraction, replacing empty places and houses with hundreds of effigies. Because this place hasn't been weird and scary enough until now!
6. Hitachi Seaside Park
Located in Hitachinaka City in Ibaraki Prefecture, this 1.9 km² flower garden is one of the world's largest flower gardens, boasting literally millions of flowers of every kind and color.
5. Fox Village
Just if you thought that you had already visited all the strange places in Japan where animals live, then go ahead to the Fox Village, where you can feed these animals by hand and pet them!
4. Gundam Robot
What else did you want from a tour of the strangest places in Japan, if not a gigantic one weighing 35 tons?!
3. Lake Yamanaka
If a trip on a swan-shaped steamship with observation tower in his “head” - exactly what you like, then this post is definitely for you!
2. Tokyo flood control sewer (G-CANS)
There are only a few "sewer tours" in the entire world. But the special feature of the G-Cans project are almost 65-meter tanks and a huge underground system with powerful hydraulic pumps capable of pumping 200 m³ of water per second!
1. Ice Aquarium (Kori no Suizokukan)
Are you aware of the problem of blurry images when you try to photograph fish and other underwater creatures swimming in aquariums? It seems the Japanese solved this little problem by freezing them and rendering them immobile.
Hoy, dear residents of AA!!!
I am with you, Raccoon-san, and today we will look at three mysterious places in Japan. I won’t delay the greeting for long, let’s begin)))
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INTRODUCTION
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Many people like to listen horror stories at night, especially when hiking, when everything around makes the atmosphere tense. And everything is fine as long as it feels like it’s fiction. But completely different feelings are evoked by real legends, or even real stories with confirmation. And even if you say that this is not creepy at all, then remembering this story without goosebumps will not be easy... Now I will tell you just such stories, about three mystical places in the land of the sun. They won't be about murders and so on, but I'm not responsible for your nightmares:smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:
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O S T R O V KH A S H I M A
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Hashima Island (Hashima) is an abandoned island located in the East China Sea, about 15 km from the city of Nagasaki. This island is also called "Gunkanjima", which translates as "cruiser", because when you look at it from above, it resembles a ship (due to the buildings).
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The island was settled in 1810, when coal was first discovered there. The island was originally created by people. By the 1930s, Hashima had become serious industrial center. There were not only mines, but also military factories. For some time, Chinese and Koreans were forcibly brought here. Many of them died from harsh working conditions.
At the very populated years In its history, the island had 30 residential buildings, 25 shops, a school, two swimming pools, hospitals and a cemetery. For 50 years, the island was one of the most densely populated places on the planet: in 1959, the island's population numbered 5,259 people per km². But the minerals began to gradually dry up and every year there were fewer and fewer mines. In 1927, the island was completely deserted. For many years, visiting the island was prohibited and even punished.
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Items from the ghost town were in demand among wealthy collectors. And there were always those who were not averse to “spending a vacation” on an abandoned island.
Trophy hunters had their own beliefs. One of them said that the island must be left before midnight, so as not to cause trouble. Not everyone believed in these beliefs. Many died on that island under very strange circumstances. But only when an experienced climber, trying to climb through the window of a blocked floor of one of the buildings, fell from the roof and crashed, despite the safety rope, did everyone begin to believe in them more willingly.
Visits to the abandoned mining town are currently permitted. But only with a guide and only in the “safe zone”. After all, any step to the side is a chance to try your luck...
INTERESTING FACTS
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Hashima has also made his mark in the film industry. In 2009 in the series “Life after People.” And in 2011, some episodes from the film “007: Skyfall” were filmed on it.
G O R A O S O R E Z A N
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Mount Osorezan is one of the extraordinary creepy places Japan, where the world of spirits meets the world of the living. That's why the mountain is also called Mountain of Fear. This place was discovered over 1000 years ago by a Buddhist priest. Currently, Mount Fear is part of the Bodaiji Temple grounds. There is no such history in this mountain, so let’s move on to beliefs.
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The mountain is considered the gateway to the afterlife. Not many believers come here, because the surrounding landscape resembles a Buddhist hell: rocky terrain, the smell of sulfur, a poisonous lake, many snakes, eight surrounding peaks and the Sanzu no Kawa River (according to legends, it must be crossed by all dead souls on their way to the afterlife) .
Around Osorezan you can see Jizo statues (statues of children), toy windmills, and towers made of piles of stones and pebbles, laid out by the parents of deceased children. This is done in the hope that the sacred stones will help the souls of children find their way to heaven.
INTERESTING FACTS
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The Bodaiji Festival is held here every year. People come to communicate with lost loved ones through Itakos (blind women who have undergone extensive spiritual training). But often the dead do not speak in their own voice, and even talk about things they should not know about.
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L E S A O K I G A H A R A
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Aokigahara ("Plain of Green Trees"), also known as Jukai ("Sea of Trees") is a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji on Japanese island Honshu. This forest, located right at the foot of the volcano itself, stands out from the general landscape.
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In 864 there was a powerful eruption of Mount Fuji. An unbreakable lava flow formed a huge lava plateau with an area of 40 km², on which a very unusual forest took root. It looks as if the soil is torn up, as if the roots were trying to crawl out of the ground.
The forested terrain is full of caves, some of which extend several hundred meters underground, and in some of which the ice never melts.
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As dusk sets in, people begin to talk about this place only in whispers. Suicides are very common here. Tourists are strictly warned not to deviate from the path. The magnetic anomaly makes the compass a useless item, and similar terrain does not allow finding the exit from memory.
Legends have long been written about the numerous ghosts that live in the forest. This place became notorious back in the Middle Ages (when, in times of famine, people left their relatives here to die). The Japanese say that their ghosts lie in wait for lonely travelers in the forest, wanting to take revenge for their suffering.
There are rumors that here among the trees you can see the white ghostly outlines of yurei. Yurei are those who died violently or committed suicide. They come to our world in the form of legless ghostly figures with long arms and eyes glowing in the dark.
Those who decide to visit Aokigahara must have strong nerves. After all, the crunch under your feet may turn out to be the crunch of bones, and the strange outline of a person in the distance may be the corpse of another hanged man.
“I screamed throughout the entire cinema hall in fear!” - ARD author Zhanna Idymova once said about her first experience of watching a Japanese horror film. It seems like the movie “The Ring”...
Japanese horror films are attractive due to their presentation style, and the scary girl climbing out of the well is simply a masterpiece of suspense.
You definitely can’t deny this to the Japanese. Deadly pale faces with inevitably large, frightening eyes, long wet hair covering the face, and a special, incomprehensible to Western viewer, and therefore even more attractive depressing atmosphere - Japanese horror films are significantly different from other world horror films.
For more than fifteen years, the best Japanese horrors - Japanese horror (J-horror, J-horror) have been confidently winning the attention of horror movie lovers all over the world. Unlike Americans and Europeans, well-mannered residents of the Land of the Rising Sun do not allow themselves to splash out negative emotions on others.
Therefore, Japanese horror seems lighter and at the same time oppressive. Without copious splashes of blood and dismembered bodies, Japanese horror directors know how to create dark, violent films with apocalyptic contours. The greatest emphasis is usually placed on the psychological component of horror and the potential expectation of an unexpected outcome. It is this thriller orientation that forms the world army of fans of Made in Japan horror.
Permanent characters of J-horror are ghosts, poltergeists and yokai - mystical humanoid creatures with different characters, who came into cinema from Japanese folklore. Japanese folk and world magic are also used: exorcism, foresight, shamanic rituals. The wet girl from the videotape not only brought the famous film by Hideo Nakata the highest box office in the world among films of this genre, but also successfully appeared in the South Korean and American counterparts.
This is a yurei - an ethereal spirit, making itself felt with heavy breathing and heartbreaking groans behind the wall, with quick steps in the corridor. In general, the image of a long-haired girl with oriental features in a long white robe is a kind of business card Japanese horror film, which appears in a significant part of these films and is actively exploited by the world's horror story authors. It seems that there is nothing scary in this image, but a terrible unpleasant feeling inside the stomach appears from just looking at the official poster of the film, not to mention the picture itself.
Manga comics, anime cartoons and unsurpassed horror films - this is Japan's contribution to world cinema. The irresistible desire to watch Japanese horrors to the end can be explained quite simply. Not a single self-respecting director of Japanese horror will leave a grateful viewer without a solution, nor will he disappoint with a blurry and unfinished ending of the film. There is always food for thought and a strong desire to better understand the mystical facet of Japanese culture.
ARD presents its top Japanese horror films of the last 15 years.
Call/Ringu
Production: Japan Genre: fantasy, horror, detective, thriller Type: feature film, 96 min. Premiere: 01/31/1998 Director: Nakata Hideo Cast: Matsushima Nanako, Nakatani Miki and others Original author: Suzuki Koji.
Summary:
After the mysterious death of her niece Tomoko Oishi (Yuko Takeyuchi), journalist Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsusoma) decides to independently find an explanation for what happened, distrusting what she believes is a typical urban myth that after watching a certain videotape the phone rings, and a week later - the man dies with his face contorted in horror. However, everything predicted begins to come true for Reiko herself - and she, having overcome her initial skepticism, understands that there is no choice left but to understand the reasons for what is happening, asking for support from her ex-husband Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada). The ongoing investigation leads Asakawa and Ryuji to an abandoned house where a tragedy occurred many years ago: a girl named Sadako (Rie Inou) was buried alive in a deep well. Reiko realizes that time is almost up - and does everything to help the soul of the innocent murdered find peace...
Ring 2/Ringu 2
Manufacture: Japan
Genre: horror film
Premiere: 06/10/1999
Director: Nakata Hideo
Cast: Nakatani Miki, Sato Hitomi and others
Summary:
The sequel to The Ring picks up the sinister theme of the deadly videotape and picks up right after the death of the first film's protagonist, journalist Ryuichi. His friend Mai Takano is trying to figure out what happened. The trail leads her, firstly, to the mysterious tape, and secondly, to Ryuichi's ex-wife, Reiko Asakawa, and her son, Yuichi. Gradually, Mai begins to realize that Yuichi has the same sinister paranormal abilities as Sadako Imamura, the ghost living in the tape. Sadako's spirit has taken possession of the boy and he begins to commit one murder after another. A veil of evil begins to hang over the heroes. Will they be able to handle it?
The Grudge
Manufacture: Japan
Genre: horror film
Type: feature film, 92 min.
Premiere: January 25, 2003
Director: Shimizu Takashi
Starring: Okina Megumi, Ito Misaki and others
Summary:
The most terrible of all curses is the dying curse. At the moment when life leaves the body of a person who dies a violent death, all the powerless rage and frantic anger of the unfortunate victim against the tormentor falls on the place where the murder was committed. The soul of the deceased will not find peace. The restless ghost will begin to appear where he was during life, and, obsessed with a thirst for revenge and blind malice, kill everyone who dares to enter his domain. There is no escape from this terrible curse.
Curse 2
Manufacture: Japan
Genre: horror film, thriller
Type: feature film, 95 min.
Premiere: 05/16/2003
Director: Shimizu Takashi
Starring: Sakai Noriko, Niyama Chiharu and others
Summary:
A curse born from the enraged mind of a dying person cannot disappear without a trace. The image of an innocently ruined soul appears again and again to everyone who tries to comprehend the secrets of its terrible fate, freezing the blood in the veins of the unfortunate, with the icy horror of the inevitable... Some time after the inexplicable events in damn house, where the bloody drama that took place many years ago marked the beginning of the chain terrible deaths and mysterious disappearances, the charming Kiyoko, the Japanese “queen of horror,” is obsessed with the idea of making an investigative film in this ominous place. She is sure that she is creating a sensation, and even the terrible and inexplicable events that have haunted Kiyoko since the beginning of filming are unable to change her fatal intentions, which have become a death sentence for the movie star and everyone around her...
Curse 3
Manufacture: Japan
Genre: horror film, thriller
Type: feature film
Year: 2007
Director: Shimizu Takashi
Dark Waters
Director: Hideo Nakata
Japan, 2002
Horror film, mystical thriller
Duration: 101 minutes
The film is presented by the association of companies "Pan-Terra" - "Cinema without Borders"
Summary: After a divorce, Yoshimi Matsubara is looking for a new apartment where she will live with her daughter. She finds accommodation in a strange house, where there are puddles and severe dampness everywhere. The manager will explain this by the rainy season. Nevertheless, the woman decides to move. On the roof, her daughter Ikuku finds a red children's bag with toys, but her mother forbids her to take it. In one of the corners of the room there is a damp spot on the ceiling, which is gradually growing.
"Dollmaker" (2005) / Doll Master
Duration: 90 min.
horror
Director: Yong-ki Jeong
Cast: Yu-mi Kim, Yun-Kyong Lim, Hyong-tak Shim, Chi-yong Ok, Hyong-chun Lim
From the moment you abandon them, their sadness turns to horror.
Have you ever had the feeling that someone is watching you? Horror pierces you, and drops of sticky sweat run down your back... You turn around, but there is no one and nothing behind you except the doll. The cold shine of her glass eyes evokes thoughts of a long and painful death....
Cello/Chello
Year of manufacture: 2005
Genre: horror, mystery
Production:
Country: Korea
Director: Lee Woo-cheol / Woo-cheol Lee /
Cast: Ho-bin Jeong, Yu-mi Jeong, Da-an Park, Hyeon-a Seong
About the film: A mystical horror film that tells the story of a house in which an entire family died while listening to cello music in various places. There are no signs of forced entry and no signs of violence on any of the victims. The only survivor is a cellist. She constantly mutters that it was the cello music that killed them all...
One missed call (Japan)
Chakushin ari (You"ve Got a Call) (2003)
Briefly:
A message sent by you three days later will be sent to your mobile phone. This is a death warning
Director: Takashi Miike / Takashi Miike
Main roles Stars: Ko Shibasaki, Kazue Fukiishi, Atsushi Ida, Renji Ishibashi, Goro Kishitani, Yutaka Matsushige, Anna Nagata, Mariko Tsutsui, Shinichi Tsutsumi
You're calling mobile phone. But instead of the usual signal there is a strange, unfamiliar melody. You don't have time to answer. The display says “1 missed call.” The caller's number is your own. The time of the call seems very strange - it is shifted into the future from today's date by exactly three days. There is one message on the answering machine. This is your own voice, meaningless words, some extraneous sounds and suddenly - a chilling death cry. This seems like someone's stupid joke, but you only have three days left to live...
Second missed call (Chakushin ari 2)
Cast:Mimura, Yuyu Yoshizawa, Renji Ishibashi, Haruko Wanibuchi, Asaka Seto, Peter Ho
Kyoko works full-time at a daycare center and studies child therapy in the evenings, leaving little time to date her photographer boyfriend Naoto. One day, Kyoko runs into a Chinese restaurant where Naoto works part-time. On the threshold, an eerie call is heard from her cell phone. They recognize this sound as the one that preceded the “death forecast” calls made last year. They remember what happened... a recording of their own voice screaming in horror... the inevitability of the end. And soon a grim death enters the world of Naoto and Kyoko, and it becomes obvious that the curse has not been lifted.
An integral part of summer in Japan are kaidans ( Japanese stories about ghosts). There are probably those who would like to visit a real Japanese haunted house. In this article I will tell you about the scariest places in Japan that you absolutely should not visit. Will you be able to sleep after reading this article?
Hospital for tuberculosis patients in Kaizuka City (Osaka Prefecture)
Kaizuka City Tuberculosis Hospital is one of the most famous places in Osaka Prefecture, where ghosts live. The building was originally built for a school (in 1948), so there is a swimming pool and showers inside. In 1958, it began to serve as a hospital for tuberculosis patients. There are still medical supplies in the building. Since there have been many deaths of patients in the hospital, it is said that the building is haunted by many ghosts.
Old X-rays can be seen scattered on the floor.
But the worst thing is not the scattered things, but the fact that you can feel the warmth of the people who were once here...
Then we decided to leave this corridor. At this point N said, “I just heard someone say “Hey!”.” I thought: “I think I heard something too, but because of the sound of the footsteps I couldn’t make out.” However, all 11 team members confirmed that they heard "Hey!" We hurried to the cars and quickly left the place.
(from a researcher's blog)
2. Jomon Tunnel (Hokkaido)
The Jomon Tunnel is located in the eastern part of Hokkaido. It connects Tokoro County and Munbetsu County. The length of the tunnel is 507 meters. In 1914, during construction work, due to very difficult working conditions and lack of food, many workers died right in the tunnel and their corpses were buried right there. In 1968, this tunnel also became famous because human bones were discovered in a wall destroyed by an earthquake.
3. Forest in the village of Shizukuishi (Iwate Prefecture)
Over the forest in the village of Shizukuishi on July 30, 1971, an ANA (All Nippon Airways) plane collided with a military fighter. The accident killed 162 people. People still bring flowers to the erected monument.
4. Shitodono Rock Iwaya (Kanagawa Prefecture)
It is known that the rock of Shitodono Iwaya was where Minamoto no Yorimoto took refuge when he was defeated in the war. There are a large number of Jizo (Bodhisattva) statues here. During the daytime it is quite an ordinary tourist attraction, but when night falls the atmosphere changes dramatically. Among the Jizo statues there are statues with far from kind facial expressions. They say that a person who sees the headless statue of Jizo will soon be visited by death.
5. Hospital in Kasumigaura City (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Initially, this place was a naval base, but then the building became one of the buildings of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Now the building has turned into ruins. There is no particular reason for the appearance of ghosts here, but fans of horror films know that this building has often become a filming location.
So what do you think?
What do you think of the places presented? They say that you should never visit them, surely there are people who already want to go there? Remember: you may experience such fear that your hair will stand on end; You take full responsibility for possible consequences.