One guy’s life suddenly became an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Japan is an old country with a tumultuous past, so there is no shortage of purportedly haunted locations such as the Kohoku Bridge in Tokyo or the Nakagusuku Kogen Hotel in Okinawa. It can almost be too much to keep up with, but luckily there are those such as the Twitter account Shinrei Spot (@SpiritSpots_) hard at work cataloging them all.

On 23 January, Shinrei Spot showcased a reservoir in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture which is said to be connected to various supernatural happenings such as a certain horn blower who can walk on water.

▼ “No.0481: Lake Iruka – A holding pond is located within Hida-Kisogawa Quasi-National Park in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. Rumors include “the appearance of those who died there in accidental or suicidal drownings” and “if you visit late at night, a young boy can be seen standing on the water and playing the trumpet.”

Some followers of the account were familiar with the stories. However, among those who hadn’t heard it, people were more enamored by the romantic atmosphere of a boy playing music on the water than they were scared.

“I’ve heard that story before…”
“I think a guy playing a trumpet on the water is a vision, not a ghost. It’s more cool than scary.”
“I live around there but this is the first time I’ve heard that.”
“A boy playing trumpet on the water? That’s awesome!”
“I went there once during the day, but I didn’t know it was a spirit spot.”

It wasn’t until a few days later that another Twitter user using the handle Toko (@toko6137) came across this ghost report and immediately recognized it…because it was him.

▼ “When I was in middle school, I used to come here and practice after dark lol.”

▼ “By the way, that ghost will be appearing at the end of next month as a part of a brass band called the Nobi Brass Society and is looking forward to your attendance. The show starts at 12:30.”

With Japan’s dense population and relatively close quarters, it can be really difficult to practice certain instruments, particularly loud ones like trumpets. So it’s not uncommon to see musicians hanging around in remote park areas to get in some solid practice time without bothering others.

Toko’s scenario made sense with a lot of others online too, but not everyone was convinced.

“I heard the rumors of trumpet, but now the real person has emerged!”
“I used to tell my son that story as a kid, but there really was a trumpet! But how old is this guy, because I remember hearing this story when I was a kid.”
“That’s another paranormal case closed.”
“The trumpet of Iruka was famous but now the real guy appears? I remember when I first heard it and wondered ‘Why is a trumpet scary?'”
“Why would people see a person playing trumpet and assume they’re a ghost anyway?”
“Big surprise, a ghost isn’t real.”
“I heard the story of a trumpet kid at Lake Iruka like 20 years ago though…”

Even if stories of a trumpet playing specter predate Toko, it’s not far-fetched to assume other aspiring musicians have chosen the same location to practice too. So, it does appear that Scooby and the rest of the gang can forego the case of the Lake Iruka Phantom and move on to the next one.

Meanwhile, it’s a reminder to all that you never know when other people are watching and what they’ll make of your actions. It’s also something to bear in mind when you hear tales of the “Abominable Bush Monster of Central Tokyo.”

Source: Twitter/@SpiritSpots_, Twitter/@toko3167, My Game News Flash
Featured image: Twitter/@SpiritSpots_