
Instead of building a sandcastle, someone built a monster.
It’s pretty normal for parks in residential neighborhoods in Japan to have a sandbox for kids to play in. This being Japan, where good manners are always important, most kids usually clean the area up a little before they go home, knocking down whatever they built and giving the sand a quick smoothing so the next person who wants to play can start with a more or less blank slate.
But when Japanese Twitter user @nil_singer was out for a stroll the other day, he came across a playground where someone’s sandbox creation was still intact. That might sound like a heartwarmingly whimsical sight, but what was waiting in the sandbox wasn’t a sandcastle…
誰だよ公園でガチったやつ…… pic.twitter.com/o19VwfW5N6
— nil@なんか歌ってる人 (@nil_singer) May 28, 2023
…but a sandface.
“Who made this crazy thing…” wonders @nil_singer in the tweet, but many commenters were of the mind that this was some sort of self-aware entity yearning to break free from its sandy prison.
“Well that’s gonna cause some childhood trauma.”
“Kids gonna cry if they see that.”
“It looks like it’s about to rise up from the earth.”
“Feels like something from Attack on Titan.”
“Pretty sure this shows up in the Monogatari anime.”
“I’ve seen this before…in The Mummy.”
“That’s definitely High Priestess from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.”
Since it’s important to know exactly what kind of monster you’re dealing with, @nil_singer later put it to a poll to determine what was going on, with the following results:
● It’s the Mummy: 38.2 percent of votes
● It’s Gaara the sand shinobi (from Naruto): 33 percent
● It’s Sandman (from Spider-Man: 21.4 percent
● It’s the sand monster from Koyomimonogatari: 7.4 percent
?
— nil@なんか歌ってる人 (@nil_singer) May 28, 2023
All kidding aside, it really is an impressive piece of sand art, with even contours for the jawline and forehead. It must have taken a lot of time and effort to get everything just right, so it’s too bad that the first reaction it provokes is to close your eyes and run away in terror.
Source: Twitter/@nil_singer via Jin
Photos: Twitter/@nil_singer
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

There’s a real-world Pokémon Sandshrew Park in Japan, and it’s adorable!【Photos】
Terrifying Pokémon fan art fails to win card design contest, succeeds at scaring everyone【Photos】
Which of these three terrifying characters do you want as the mascot of Osaka’s World Expo?
Legendary RPG-style shield found on Japanese beach, Twitter tries to figure out who the hero is
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Tokyo giving out free furoshiki from Pikachu’s designer to help tourists carry their garbage home
Japanese convenience store sunglasses just became our newest Convenience Wear obsession
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases two new seasonal drinks that blur the line between summer and autumn
Kyoto shop turns traditional Japanese kimono into teddy bears, with special meaning hidden in their patterns
A practical guide to freezing your boss’ hat in a block of ice [Photos]
Totoro shaved ice wows Studio Ghibli fans in Tokyo for a very limited time
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
The Japanese city where ordering grilled chicken doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually get chicken
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Beautiful off-the-beaten-path spot near samurai castle in rural Japan looks like a Monet painting
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】