The small rock bounced and spun around in the air for almost two minutes, even after being caught and touched by a person.
ghost
Optical illusion? Smoke and mirrors? Or is this creepy photo of Pikachu the work of the supernatural?
Who you gonna call…? Frederik Kriekenbeek! No, that’s not the Cebuano word for “Ghostbuster,” it’s the name of the local priest who specializes in exorcisms in Cebu, Philipines.
What seems like a case of ghostly possession has struck the idyllic Filipino island when, on November 21, 14 students fainted when they were “possessed” by a ghost. Never fear though, this does seem to happen every once in a while; that’s why they have a local priest who specializes in exorcisms. He really is, who they call.
Aside from indirectly putting the phrase, “If you build it, they will come,” into the popular lexicon (the actual line in the movie is “If you build it, he will come”), the 1989 film Field of Dreams is remembered for the scene where the main character plays a game of catch with the spirit of his dead father. It’s a touching and emotional scene, but sadly the sort of thing that’s only possible with movie magic.
At least, that’s true if we’re talking about baseball. But for parents and kids who bond through a love of video games, it’s actually possible to play together after a loved one passes away, as one teen recently found out.
The Japanese internet is exploding after a succession of high school girls in Fukuoka Prefecture disturbingly collapsed during school hours on Monday. Students who were at the scene took to their Twitter accounts to post updates as the bizarre spectacle unfolded.
While the most likely explanation for the mysterious series of events is that the girls were induced into a state of mass panic after the first girl collapsed, some are attributing it to a vengeful spirit. Feel free to draw your own conclusions from the details, but either way, this is one creepy happening.
It’s almost summer and that means a lot of stuff in Japan—Golden Week, brain melting humidity, Obon, and of course, horror movies and haunted houses. While many people in the west binge on horror flicks and spooky attractions as Halloween nears, Japanese people tend to get their fright on during the summer months.
We recently caught up with Margee Kerr, a sociologist who studies fear and helps the world famous ScareHouse terrify their patrons—in a good way of course! Margee was in Japan studying how fear works across different cultures and we were excited to learn about the similarities and differences in the reactions between Japan and America to horror. Check out our interview with a true master of fear at one of Tokyo’s scariest bars: Yurei Izakaya in Kichijoji!
Ginti Kobayashi is a writer who in recent years can be seen in the series, Kaidan Shinmimibukuro Nagurikomi! In these DVDs, we follow Kobayashi and his colleagues as they explore Japan’s most notoriously haunted places.
In the spirit of summer, when Japan likes to cool down by sharing chilling stories, Kobayashi sat down with Spa magazine and laid out his choices for the top 10 most frightening haunted places he has ever experienced.










Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
TeamLab Planets: Walk up a waterfall and catch koi fish at new digital art museum in Tokyo
Tokyo Station’s perfect breakfast spot might just be this izakaya Japanese-style pub
Manga artist raises question online about false perspective in Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro
Daiso’s 100-yen ramen egg makers even better in smaller sizes
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Tokyo Station’s perfect breakfast spot might just be this izakaya Japanese-style pub
Manga artist raises question online about false perspective in Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro
Daiso’s 100-yen ramen egg makers even better in smaller sizes
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
We visit the 24-hour male-only sauna just outside of Hakata Station and ponder a strange sight
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?
We try Amazon’s lowest rated posing mannequin, but it wasn’t the doll that was one star
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Kodomo no Omocha creator draws new manga pages for an unexpected new home
Cold beer – less smelly than fermented soybeans, and by one criteria, healthier too