Many Western urban legends like the Bigfoot and the Yeti (Abominable Snowman) do not particularly send chills down my spine. They all sound ridiculously fake or unbelievable.
So set away any ideas that come from Western urban legends, as they can not compare to Asian urban legends.
Let me tell you about some Asian Urban legends that really spooked me. The more I delve into these tales, the deeper my fascination grows. Each Asian legend is incredibly unique, providing an intriguing story that draws readers in.
So, fasten your seatbelts, grab your favorite snack, and join me as I delve into the captivating stories of Hachishakusama, Kuchisake-onna, and the Pocong.
Hachishakusama
In the outskirts of Japan, a terrifying legend called the Hachishakusama began to take bloom.
Locals recalled a seemingly unearthly presence of a woman in a long white kimono, wearing a wheat-straw hat and towering over at a chilling height. Her long, jet-black hair fell over her shoulders, serving as a sharp contrast against the pale, translucent skin. Her lifeless eyes seemed to see past the invisible curtain separating the dead from the living.
The uncanny “Po..po..po..” that echoed through the atmosphere and sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it, marked her entrance. She emerged from the shadows, appearing next to unsuspecting kids.
It was a hot summer day in Japan. You strolled around in the park alone when all of a sudden, you heard a faint sound.
“Po..po..po..”
At first, you ignored the sound, convinced that the trees had some part in doing so. But then, you heard it again.
“Po..po..po..po..po.”
As you looked over your shoulder, your eyes rested on a woman in the distance, behind an eight-foot-tall, white fence. She was as tall as the fence was high, and the sight was uneasy yet interesting. Her eyes caught onto yours, but then she began to walk away, the sound slowly fading with her.
As you got home, you mentioned this strange encounter to your grandparents. They stood frozen in fear as you mentioned the sound the woman made: “Po..po..po..”
Your grandparents exchanged grave glances, their faces etched with worry. As you told them about the encounter in the park, their expressions shifted from disbelief to sheer terror. Your grandmother, with a trembling hand, knew what she had to do immediately.
“Stay in your room until 7 A.M. in the morning, and DO NOT come out under any circumstances!”
Confused, you thought they were joking with you. But as you looked into their eyes, you knew something was off. With no hesitation, you listened to whatever your grandmother said.
In a solemn ritual, your grandmother placed four bowls of salt in each corner of your room and one Buddha statue on top of a wooden box in the middle. It was a protective spell, she said, a way to ward off evil spirits like Hachishakusama.
It was three in the morning, and you could not get any sleep. Thoughts started to fill your head as you thought about the worst scenarios. As you anxiously waited in the dimly lit room, you heard: “If you are scared, I can come in and keep you company, honey.”
You sighed a breath of relief as you heard your grandmother’s voice. However, you took a glance at the rice in the bowls, and they gradually turned a sinister shade of black. “Honey, open the door now,” as you heard the doorknob rattle.
The night dragged on, each passing minute feeling like an eternity. The tapping on the window persisted, growing more insistent, and the voice outside whispered words that sent chills down your spine.
The sound “po..po..po..” grew louder and louder… until it eventually stopped. It was 7:00 in the morning.
Many rumors say, in order to escape Hachishakusama you would need to get out of Japan. Why she favors children remains a chilling mystery. Whether Hachishakusama had truly vanished or merely receded into the shadows remained uncertain.
You found yourself glancing over your shoulder, half-expecting to catch a glimpse of those soulless, lifeless eyes staring back at you.
Kuchisake-onna
A woman walks along in the quiet streets of Japan late at night, her face concealed by a surgical mask. To those who emerge on her path, she approaches with an unsettling question: “Am I pretty?”
This is the story of Kuchisake-onna.
Her appearance is both haunting and tragic. Beneath the mask, her face is said to be marred by a grotesque slit from ear to ear, revealing a mouth that bears the scars of her unfortunate fate.
Many legends denote the cause of her being unfaithful to her husband, who slit her mouth ear to ear as punishment. Others believe that women were jealous of her beautiful midnight-black hair flowing gracefully over her shoulders and her eyes, which can make any man fall for her in just a glance, so much so that during a medical procedure, they purposely slashed her, in order to make her appear uglier.
The legend warns that if you answer her question incorrectly a gruesome fate is guaranteed. If you say “no,” she will reveal a pair of scissors and swiftly slit your mouth to mimic hers.
If you say “yes,” she removes her mask, asking the same question again. If you answer “yes” again, this will lead to a macabre transformation, leaving you identical to the mutilated visage of Kuchisake-onna.
Her eyes, cold and distant, seemed to pierce through the darkness, and her presence instilled an inexplicable fear.
With a chilling silence, she awaites your response, her masked visage hinting at the grotesque fate that awaits any who dared to cross her path. As the darkness surrounds you, you find yourself in the hands of a creature that sprung from the eerie depths of Japanese folklore.
What will be your response?
Pocong
A story not many have heard of, deeply rooted in Indonesian mythology, the Pocong takes on the form of a ghostly creature, with the ability to make one shiver.
A Pocong is completely covered by a white burial cloth, which stands out against the dark, revealing every detail of its form. The ghastly silhouette created when the fabric is fastened with tight strings emphasizes the otherworldly quality of its eerie figure, appearing as a floating being.
The fabric rustles with a disturbing sound as the Pocong glides through moonlit landscapes, a sound that mimics the whispers of the paranormal. It is an unsettling appearance, its blurry figure and shadowy face adding to the mystery surrounding it.
The suffering of its unfulfilled destiny and the ghostly torment of a soul caught between this life and the afterlife can be seen in the look of the Pocong. Their funeral shrouds, which are usually connected to death’s finality, represent their suffering, as they live forever in the transitional state between two realms.
Now, picture a hidden route that takes you through a thick, dark forest, eventually leading you to your home. You were always alone as no one else took this route. You got used to this path, however.
One night, you heard an alarming rustling.
Guided by your flashlight, you dismissed it as the many wild animals often roamed the area. But then, a thump-thump sound echoed, an ominous sound unfamiliar to your ears. You aim your flashlight in the distance, which reveals a white figure, tall and distant. In a brief millisecond of a blink, the figure jumps closer with an alarming speed, directly in front of your face. You register the figure with wide eyes, realizing that it was a decaying corpse tightly wrapped in a white shroud.
Terrified, you sprint through the forest, hoping to reach safety in the comforts of your house. As you recounted the eerie encounter to your mother upon arriving home, her face lit up with an odd joy. She explained that the Pocong would be relentless in pursuit of you until its spirit was freed by being untied.
And yet, there was a catch. If you hug the Pocong, it may bring your family fortune and prosperity. With a gleam in her eye, your mother suggested a different course of action. Hug the Pocong, and they say an enormous amount of money and fortune is guaranteed.
Baffled, you heard a thump-thump.
There it was, the Pocong standing right in front of your door.
Are you willing to hug the Pocong?
*****
All in all, I hope you enjoyed these stories.
Asian legends give readers a spine-tingling experience unlike any Western urban legends that fall short of a true scare. The stories of Hachishakusama, Kuchisake-onna, and the Pocong caught my interest as I learned more about them.
However, there are many more legends originating from Asia that caught my attention as well, such as the Daruma-san, the Serbian Dancing Lady, and Teke Teke.
As Areli Hernandez ’25, said, “I think that Asian urban legends are cool. Each story feels like a mysterious journey with many creepy twists and turns. They are all intriguing, yet kind of nerve-wracking at the same time.”
And I couldn’t agree more.
As Areli Hernandez ’25, said, “I think that Asian urban legends are cool. Each story feels like a mysterious journey with many creepy twists and turns. They are all intriguing, yet kind of nerve-wracking at the same time.”