the country of the legend : japan

"Teke-teke, teke-teke ..." is the sound made by the ghost of Reiko Kashima, devoid of half of her body, when she crawls on the ground to come and tear your legs off.

In the Japanese imagination, Reiko Kashima is a yūrei and one of the best known urban legends in the country. The story tells of the tragic fate of a young woman whose body, cut in half following an accident, seeks to assuage her revenge by tearing off the legs of those who dare to venture on her way at night.

If we refer to the "classification" of yūrei established by Japanese folklore, the ghost of Reiko Kashima is what is commonly called an onryō (怨 霊), that is to say an avenging spirit. These ghosts are generally described as women who are abused, abused and killed by men, who would therefore especially satisfy their thirst for revenge on the representatives of the fairer sex.
For the sordid little anecdote, in Japan, this urban legend is also called by the name "Teke-teke" (テ ケ テ ケ) in reference to the noise that would make Reiko's elbows when she crawls towards you to catch you ...

Myth and origins :

Reiko Kashima is a high school student (or a young woman) who, when she walks one day not far from a railway, is assaulted by a group of men. Beaten then raped several times, she is left for dead, unconscious and above all completely humiliated. When she regains consciousness, she calls for help but no one hears her. Unable to walk, she then decides to crawl to get help but, at the end of her strength, she collapses on the railroad tracks ... A train passes and cuts her body in half, killing her instantly.
Since then, her spirit has wandered around the railroad tracks, looking for the legs she lost and the men who killed her. From time to time, she goes to meet the living who hang around and asks them: "Where are my legs?" " If they are unable to respond, she cuts their legs in turn and leaves ... But if we follow beliefs, there is a way to escape such a fate: it would be enough for him say they are "on the Meishin Line". But then, it wouldn't all end there; Reiko's ghost would insist by asking, "Who told you that?" ", A question which must be answered" Reiko Kashima ". Finally, to be completely rid of this spirit and keep her body in its entirety, it is necessary to answer the young woman, when she asks "Do you know my name? ", The following formula:" Kamen Shinin Ma ", literally" mask (仮 面, kamen) - deceased person (死人, shinin) - demon (魔, ma) ". It is said that those who hear or read Reiko's story will see it appear before them in the days that follow...

Like most urban legends of the genre, that of Reiko Kashima could be inspired by a news story that has taken place in recent decades. Some believe that it could indeed have its roots in the case of a woman who lived in the city of Muroran, on the island of Hokkaidō in the north of the country, and who was allegedly raped by American soldiers during the Second World War. Difficult to rule on the veracity of this information, but what is certain is that the myth of Teke-Teke was born in the last century, not before, and that it is therefore a question of relatively recent legend.