Urban Legends in Japan
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Part 2
1. Leaving an electric fan running while sleeping will result in your death. This one is still firmly believed. The story states ‘cold’ air causes hypothermia, ashyxiation, and paralysis. Funny how there’s nothing on air-conditioners, though.
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2. Human blood was a key ingredient in making better-quality swords. According to a myth, two of the greatest sword makers from the 14th century used fresh human blood in order to create superior swords, and many people were murdered and drained in order to do so. Another myth is that an insane sword craftsmaker passed his madness onto his crafts, leading to the violent, psychotic breakdowns of anyone who weilded one of his swords. Although an order was issued for the swords to be destroyed, a few still remain.
3. At Mount Hiko (Fukuoka Prefecture), there is a gang of headless motorbike riders who terrorize the residents and roam the roads. The story varies slightly, but it usually follows the idea of a gang pranking their rivals by attaching a thin rope or wire to the road. When the rival gang rode past, they were decapitated by the rope/wire but continued to ride headless on through the night.
4. If you take a photo of three people, the middle person will die prematurely.
Someone posed the question, “What if you took three pictures of the same three people, but the middle person is switched each time? Do they all die at the same time…?” I’m glad someone is putting some thought into this one.
Someone posed the question, “What if you took three pictures of the same three people, but the middle person is switched each time? Do they all die at the same time…?” I’m glad someone is putting some thought into this one.
5. A Japanese girl completed a drawing and then commit suicide. It is said that if you look at the picture for more than a few minutes, it induces nausea, uneasiness, and you will meet the same fate as the artist.
6. Police serve katsudon (pork cutlet on rice) to those who have been arrested as it invokes people to tell the truth. Apparently the hot meal with the phrase 'Did you ever think what your mother would think of this (your crimes)?’ is taken as a token of kindness and the villain confesses out of guilt. Though, college students also eat katsudon and KitKats before exams because the kanji is the same as 'to win’ or 'victory’.
7. The JR Shinjuku Station (Tokyo) is home to several ghosts who push suicidal people off the tracks to safety. In the basement of the station, there is a monument devoted to the several workers who died in an accident during cable construction. According to station staff, mysterious figures are often seen moving around the areas where the public is prohibited to enter. It is also argued that the cable construction accident may be a cover up for a mass suicide incident (which may explain why the ghosts help suicidal people from ending up in the same circumstances).