haunted
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, including this team of workers who used their own local brand of heroism to prank visitors at night.
Using a Japanese ghost-hunting device, we find out if Chillingham Castle is as haunted as they say.
It’s like a haunted house on wheels, except you can’t choose when to ride the ESP Taxi. It chooses you.
The tree is said to curse those who draw near, but thankfully divine protection is available nearby.
Do you believe in ghosts, Rocketeers? A bloodstained woman with long hair is said to haunt this Tokyo tunnel.
For decades, locals have said a woman’s ghost appears in the park at night, and our visit ended with frightening female fury.
A luxury leisure resort on the lush hillside of Okinawa. Panoramic ocean views. A waterpark, a petting zoo, a night club. Now crumbling into ruins, swallowed up by nature reclaiming the land developers tried to take. Perhaps the owners should have known better than to build on the site of ancient tombs. The local priests warned them. But they didn’t listen.
This is the tale of Okinawa’s Nakagusuku Kogen Hotel, one of the most haunted abandoned sites in Japan.
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.


















Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Pokémon hot spring footbath opening in Japan this spring
Move aside, convenience store egg sando – there’s a better version of the iconic sandwich in Japan
Almost all Japanese women say they dislike random gacha/blind-box toys in survey
Soaking in glimmering water and the essence of prehistoric plants at a Hokkaido hot spring
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Starbucks Japan adds new Sencha Matcha Tea Frappuccino to its menu, but only at 28 locations
Float all of your troubles away with a boat ride down the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Soaking in glimmering water and the essence of prehistoric plants at a Hokkaido hot spring
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Starbucks Japan adds new Sencha Matcha Tea Frappuccino to its menu, but only at 28 locations
Float all of your troubles away with a boat ride down the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture
Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date
We taste makunouchi bento at four Japanese convenience store chains【Taste comparison】
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Tokyo subway and almost all Tokyo train lines now accepting credit card tap payments
Why is Yoshinoya called Yoshinoya?