Discover Japan’s Dark Side

English Version Drive-In Ichinomaru is an unusual roadside drive-in said to have been built in the shape of a castle. Its decayed, distinctive structure gi

English Version For centuries, yokai have represented strange and uncanny phenomena beyond ordinary human understanding. Some are said to bring good luck,

English Version For this New Year travel story, I want to write about Kuki Yoshitaka’s head mound on Toshi Island in Mie Prefecture. For some reason, when

English Version Rumors say that when photos are taken at this site, a red, glowing object sometimes appears in the image. The Old Tomi Tunnel was closed af

English Version Have you ever heard of Sagicho? In many parts of Japan, it is also known as Dondo-yaki or Tondo-yaki. Sagicho is a fire festival usually he

English Version Tsuneyama Castle Ruins in Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, is often described in local ghost stories as a haunted castle site. Visitors have rep

English Version Ningyo Toge, or “Doll Pass,” is a mountain pass associated with a cluster of unsettling rumors and old tales. Visitors and locals have spok

English Version Have you heard of East Timor? This article looks at what happened in that country and the refugees created by its long, painful history. It

English Version At night, some people claim to have seen the figure of a spirit standing motionless on this now-empty lot. The site is said to have once he

English Version Takashimadaira Danchi, a large housing complex in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, has long been associated with unsettling rumors and ghost stories.