For a long time, Japan seemed like a mystery to the rest of the world. People were curious to know about the region. Sailors, upon coming back, would tell stories about evil creatures and spirits living in Japan. Many years later, these Japanese legends are still quite spooky and manage to send shivers down spines.

We’ve picked 3 terrifying Japanese legends for you to explore. Tread with caution.

The Red Room

The origins of this legend are unknown. It says that, while you browse the web, an old-looking pop-up window will appear on your screen. It’s said to be pointless to use an ad blocker or to try to close the window. The pop-up’s background is blood red, and it says, “Do you like?” As you keep trying to close the pop-up, the message will change to “Do you like the Red Room?” Gradually, the screen turns red and the names of all previous victims appear on it.

It is said that after this experience, the victim commits suicide by cutting his veins and turning the walls red with his blood.

Teke-Teke

We’ve heard there used to be a schoolgirl called Shiho. She was never accepted in her school because she was a mixed-race child. She was even accused of cheating on a test and, as punishment, had to clean the school compound with other students. As she was cleaning, a classmate started bullying her and throwing mud in her face. She left and decided to come back home on a train. At the railway station, she remembered that it was her father’s birthday and she had promised to pick up a cake from the bakery on her way.  Once she had fetched the cake and returned to the station, it was rush hour.  The crowd was not happy to have a person covered in mud there. They started pushing her around. Just as the train started approaching, she fell on the rail while trying to protect the cake in her hands. The conductor tried to stop the train, but it was too late. It cut her body in half and covered the whole platform in blood. She had spent her last day being bullied.

Soon after, she turned into an evil spirit. In the wee hours of the night, she picks her victims at a train station and cuts them in half to make them feel the same way she did.

Kuchisake-Onna

A long time ago, there used to be a very beautiful woman. She was so beautiful that she was courted by men wherever she went. When it was time for her to get married, she picked a respected samurai. He had to go to war soon after their wedding and didn’t come back for a long time. Even though the woman was married, men still pursued her. As time passed, she started feeling lonely and decided to accept the feeling of one of the suitors. Eventually, she began spending time with other reputable men. The rumors spread far and wide. Soon enough, the samurai heard the story about a beautiful woman who only courted the best men. After returning to his hometown, he decided to try his luck and visit that woman. As he came to her gates, he realized that it was his home and the woman was his wife. Furious, he went into the house and found his wife with one of the men. He killed the man with his sword. He walked to his wife and asked, “Do you think you’re beautiful?” He then proceeded to cut her mouth from ear to ear. After her death, she turned into an evil spirit seeking revenge.

As night falls, she approaches her victims, wearing a mask to cover her scars. She asks them, “Am I beautiful?” If the victim says yes, she takes off her mask and asks, “And now?” If he starts screaming or says no, she cuts his mouth. If he says yes but looks terrified, she will follow him home only to stab him to death. If her victim says yes while looking calm, she will give him a red ruby and leave.

Scary, right? What would you say is your favorite urban legend from Japan? Leave us a comment below and share some of your spookiest stories to date.