7 Popular Japanese Urban Legends

*******

Introduction -

Inunaki Village and Tomino's Hell are some of the Japanese urban legends I have already discussed in this book. So just like before, I have selected 7 more supernatural urban legends from Japan, and where not only will we talk about these legends but also their origins. So without any further ado, let's get started!

1. Kaijin Answer

The first urban legend that we are going to discuss is Kaijin Answer. Kaijin Answer is a yokai, meaning it is a supernatural monster or spirit of the Japanese folklore, who when called can answer any question asked by a human being. It is also that you can do it through your cell phone.

To call it, 10 people have to make a circle and, the first person has to call the person standing beside them, the second person has to call the third person, and so on. The 10th person will call the first person and by doing this everyone's phone line will be busy and in exchange, their phones will be connected to Kaijin Answer.

Kaijin Answer will answer their questions, a total of 9 questions, but in exchange, Kaijin Answer will ask a tough question from one of them and if the person fails to answer correctly then Kaijin Answer will take one of their body parts. This is because Kaijin Answer has only a head and by collecting body parts it wants to become a complete human.

Origin of 'Kaijin Answer' -

This urban legend started circulating around 2002 on various urban legends websites and it became so popular that they started showing this on TV where people were seen experimenting with this game.

After 1 year, people came to know that this urban legend was started by a boy. Yes guys, the owner of the modern ghost stories website, Hiroshi-san, investigated this story and found out the boy's identity. Turns out that Kunerizu Airi-san, the boy's name, started this urban legend on his website to see how these stories circulate and become popular.

And this is how 'Kaijin Answer' became a popular urban legend.

2. Different to the dream

Anyways, coming to the next urban legend which is 'Different to the dream'. According to this urban legend, a high school girl had a dream that while she was coming back from school when a stranger hiding behind a telegraph pole came out and stabbed her in the back with a knife. This dream was so vivid that the girl remembered it clearly.

The next day, when she was coming from school she noticed the same telegraph pole and started to panic. She called her Mom to ask her to come take her back home and till then she waited near a shop.

When she was reading some magazines, she glanced towards the window only to notice that the same stranger was looking at her through the window. Laughing through the glass, the stranger said to the girl that she shouldn't have acted differently from the dream.

The speculation behind the origin of 'Different to the dream' -

Most of the urban legends that become popular tend to contain human monsters or supernatural monsters and in this urban legend, it is a mixture of both. A version of this story was published in 'My Ghostly Experience' by fortune-teller Moera Yuki in 1993.

According to this book, the person who experienced that dream didn't see a dream but rather an 'out of the body' experience where the girl's spirit was roaming around in another dimension, and from there an evil spirit got attached to her.

3. The photocopier that shows your face of death

The next urban legend we are going to discuss is 'The photocopier that shows your face of death'. In Ryugasaki, Japan, there is a convenience store where there is a photocopier and if a person copies their face then the copier shows the face of the person at the time of their death.

Once a guy, listening to the rumours, came to the store and when there was no one around, he made a copy of his face. But the print came out the same and he thought that all the rumors were just lies. But when he was coming out of the store he met with an accident and died on the spot.

Origin of this urban legend -

It is said that these type of Japanese horror legends are quite popular and there are many versions of them. In Japan, these are called, 'Shinigao', which means death face or the face of a dead person.

This particular legend got popular due to a horror comic released in 2011 and this comic contains a collection of urban legends.

4. Ghost Test

The next popular urban legend is the 'Ghost Test'. Many people don't know that they can see ghosts and there is a simple test from which you can know whether you can see ghosts or not.

First, they have to go to a quiet place, close their eyes and imagine their childhood home. After doing this, using their imagination they have to open the door and open many such doors and windows of their home. Then they have to close them all in the opposite order. At last, you have to go outside and ask yourselves whether you saw someone in your imagination in your home or not.

If yes, then it's possible that you can see ghosts, and the more ghosts you see in your house then the more powerful is your ability to see ghosts. According to this urban legend, people have varying levels of ability to see ghosts. This idea of seeing ghosts in Japan is called reikan. To check reikan, there are many more popular tests available, there are even apps available.

5. Purple Mirror

Another popular Japanese urban legend is 'Purple Mirror'. It is said that if a person remembers these words till they are 20 years old then due to some hidden curse they will die. According to the legend, many years ago, there was a small girl whose parents gifted her a precious hand mirror and the girl painted it in purple color.

She thought that if the paint didn't remain there for a long time then she will be able to remove it easily. But when she tried to remove the paint, it didn't come off. The girl got so sad and depressed that she started babbling, "Purple Mirror, Purple Mirror. Purple Mirror ..." till her 20th birthday until she died.

Since then the feelings of that girl got transformed in the form of 'Purple Mirror' and it is said that if someone is younger than 20 years and remembers these two words together then they will be cursed. 'Purple Mirror' or Murasaki Kagami, is a really popular Japanese urban legend that even has a movie by the same name.

Methods to avoid this curse -

There are many variations of this legend and to avoid this curse the most common method that people believe in is that when you remember 'Purple Mirror' then say 'White Crystal' or Shiro suihou because white crystals are perceived highly in Shinto religion which can break the curse. Some people also believe that saying 'Pink Mirror' or 'Gold Potato' will also give you good luck.

6. Sadako's Phone Number

The next urban legend is 'Sadako's Phone Number'. Sadako's Phone Number is 09044444444, it is said that whoever calls this unlucky number will reach Sadako and within 7 days something unfortunate will happen to this person.

When 'Ring' the book written by Koji Suzuki was published in 1991 and in 1998, 'The Ring' movie was released, the legend of Sadako got more popular. But the question is how did we find out this is Sadako's number?

Well, in the Japanese language, the number '4' is called "shi" which also means death. That's why the number '4' is considered unlucky in Japan. Also as you can see, there is eight 4's in Sadako's number.

The reality is that this is a registered phone number of a phone company. This was a transmission line and when people called it, they would listen to a strange 'beep!'. So many people called this line but this line is closed now but one interesting fact is that if you searched this number in 'Jpnumber' which is a Japanese phone number database, you will find that this number is registered under 'Sadako's Phone Number'. And to date, this number still works.

7. Blue Crayon

Now, this last urban legend's name is 'Blue Crayon'. It is said that a married couple bought a cheap old house near the outskirts of the city and this house was close to the station and supermarkets too. One of the couple's friends helped them move in and later that night they had dinner together.

Since it was late, their friend decided to stay the night but at night they heard a child running so they all woke up. They ignored this and went back to sleep but woke up again when they heard a child speaking.

They investigated the house the next morning and found a blue crayon. Not only that but they also found the layout of the house weird because they found the crayon at the end of the hallway but the blueprints of the house show that there is another room behind the hallway.

So when they knocked on the wall, a sound came back meaning there was space behind it. They removed the wallpaper and found a door. They opened the door to find an empty room and something was written on the wall with a blue crayon.

"Father, Mother, I'm sorry. Please let me out." was written on the wall.

Origin of this urban legend -

This particular urban legend has been circulating since the 1980s and there are some variations also. In some variations, instead of blue crayon, there is a mention of red crayon. Hikaru Ijūin, a Japanese comedian, once shared this story on a TV show in 1997 and since then this story has been really popular.

Conclusion -

Now guys, for years, people have liked to be scared and that's why these stories are so popular and why there is such a popularity of horror movies, and also why you read this book. But how much truth these stories bear is debatable but although they are entertaining to learn about. So, these were '7 Popular Japanese Urban Legends' and I hope you liked it!

*******

This is it, guys. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please tell me if I was wrong somewhere in the comment section. Also, there is going to be a part 2 of Japanese Urban Legends, so stay tuned!

Also a question for you guys: Which one here was your favorite? Tell me in the comment section.

And don't forget to vote, share and follow me.

Peace out ✌️.