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From the slit-mouthed Kuchisake-onna to the fortune-bringing Zashiki-warashi, Japanese folklore has produced some of the world's most recognizable supernatural figures. Unlike the site's haunted-tunnel guide, these legends aren't tied to one physical location — they're characters and phenomena passed down through oral tradition, often with a documented literary or historical origin point. Here's every yokai and character-based Japanese urban legend this site has profiled so far.
For location-specific hauntings — tunnels, caves, underpasses, and bridges — see our companion guide: Haunted Tunnels of Japan: The Complete Guide.
Yokai & Legendary Figures
- Gakko no Kaidan: The True Story Behind Japan's School Ghost Genre
- Hanako-San: The True Story Behind Japan's Toilet Ghost
- Kokkuri-San: The True Story Behind Japan's Spirit-Summoning Game
- Kuchisake-Onna: The True Story Behind Japan's Slit-Mouthed Woman
- Noppera-bo: The True Story Behind Japan's Faceless Ghost
- Rokurokubi: The True Story Behind Japan's Long-Necked Yokai
- Teke-Teke: The True Story Behind Japan's Legless Ghost
- The Bake Ton: The True Story Behind Kyoto's Campus Ghost
- Waifu/O-Naka Ita: The True Story Behind the Stomach-Dwelling Yokai
- Yajagama: The True Story Behind Okinawa's Sacred Tree Spirit
- Zashiki-Warashi: The True Story Behind Japan's Fortune-Bringing Child Spirit
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