Ghosts of Kyoto
Some followers of the undead wonder if Kyoto is the most “haunted” place in Japan, Asia or even the world. A number of locals would have you believe it. The hospitality industry in particular is known to promote to intrepid foreign travelers the area’s ubiquitous, abandoned and graffitied mansions, resorts and hotels. Also decorating the landscape are long, damp and dark tunnels, rusty bridges spanning nameless hills above eerie green ponds, and plunging bottomless gorges.
Popular too for outside voyeurs are underused temples and shrines, overgrown and twisted railways, crumbling stations, fire-damaged castles, unidentifiable ruins, lifeless villages and other remote spots traditionally renowned for gory tales of death by suicide, accident, war, murder, disease and natural disasters.
Listeners of such stories are often spooked into silence by tragic—and perhaps tall—tales of lovesick schoolgirls flinging themselves into the paths of oncoming trains, and a penniless caretaker jumping from the top of a Bubble-era bankrupt love hotel. Rumored mountain-top “sky burials” feed wild flora and fauna, as well as our insatiable hunger for disgusting tales of morbid destinations; the heads of decapitated Samurai and their rivals have turned rivers red with blood and thick bamboo forests hide the remains of lost souls.
There are a number of websites dedicated to eager fans of the paranormal who love to travel off-the-beaten-track tree-lined country lanes, long neglected by natural and electric light. It is on these dark roads where a manic young woman dressed in muddy white rags is said to have jumped at passing cars, or briefly appeared in the rear-view mirror, sitting morosely in the back seat. The sounds of barely audible screams, unexplainable echoes and sudden temperature drops along bamboo forest trails can leave even cynics scared, confused and running home.
Locals advise us to be aware of our surroundings. Apart from ghosts, dangers include guard dogs, wild animals, security and unstable structures. When exploring the paranormal in Kyoto, always abide by the golden rule: take only pictures and leave only footprints.