Kowabana: ‘True’ Japanese Scary Stories from Around the Internet Vol. 05

Kuchisake-onna, the slit-mouthed woman. Hasshaku-sama, the eight-foot tall woman. Hanako-san of the toilet. Teke Teke. Aka Manto. Sukima-onna. For years Japan has thrilled and terrified us with its horror icons, making everything from toilets to gaps to wells to railway stations sites of terror. But that’s not all. That’s not even close. Who, or what, is Kankandara, and why is it hidden deep inside the forest in an off-limits area? Why are people dreaming of a teenage girl called Kanako-san and then disappearing shortly thereafter? How are a third-grade class going to defeat the spirit determined to kill them all before they graduate? Where is the mysterious Kisaragi Station, a station that exists on no map? What was really hiding in the memory card of an abandoned phone? In Kowabana: ‘True’ Japanese scary stories from around the internet Vol. 3 you’ll find 81 carefully selected and translated tales from the people who know Japanese horror best; those who lived through it. From inescapable curses to haunted houses, vengeful ghosts to supernatural experiences, cities to shrines, rice fields to schools, the Kowabana series is dedicated to bringing you the best horror, thriller, suspense and supernatural stories you’ve never seen before.

By Tara A. Devlin