Toshiden: Exploring Japanese Urban Legends: Volume Two
Page 4
Sadako’s Phone Number
090-4444-4444.
They say that if you ring this unlucky number, you’ll get through to Sadako. Try it for yourself. You’ll hear a strange sound, like “booooooooooooooo.”
However, be careful. All who call this number will meet with a horrific accident within seven days.
ABOUT
Ring by Suzuki Koji was first published in 1991, although it wasn’t until the film version was released in 1998 that Sadako really hit the big time. Sadako should need no introduction, but part of her curse in the film involves dying a week after watching her tape. Here we can see her week-long curse at work again. Call this number and instead of Sadako calling you, you’ll get straight through to her, and then you’ll die within the week.
How is this Sadako’s number? Those of you with some familiarity of the Japanese language will likely have recognised why immediately. The number “4” can be pronounced “shi” in Japanese, which is also the same word for “death.” For that reason, 4 is considered to be an unlucky number in Japan. 090-4444-4444. Yeah, there’s no denying that’s a cursed number at first sight.
This legend has been around at least as long as the movie has. There are records of people talking about the number online as far back as 2000, and even then it wasn’t an unknown legend. Much like the tale states, people who called the number got a strange beeping sound in return, confirming its creepy nature. “But did they die?” I hear you asking. Probably not, because as I’m sure you guessed, it’s not really Sadako’s phone number. Sadako doesn’t exist (or is that just what she wants you to believe?).
THE TRUTH
In reality, the phone number belonged to the phone company au. It was a transmission line, which was why people got the strange long beep when they called it. At present, the number is no longer in use, presumably because so many people kept calling it trying to get through to Sadako.
Interestingly, and perhaps as a good sign of humour, if you type the number into the jpnumber website, a database of phone numbers in Japan, the listing comes up with “Sadako’s Phone Number” in the business name section. The number itself is still owned by au’s parent company KDDI, and a quick glance through the list of recent comments shows that people are still calling the number to this day. Some even claim that they hear a groaning voice on the other end. If you want to call and check for yourself, you can; it is a real phone number. That part’s not a legend. You’re sadly not likely to hear much on the other end though; it is, fittingly, a dead number after all.
The fact that no-one has taken this number and used it for marketing purposes still astounds me, to be honest.
Blue Crayon
A married couple bought an old house out in the suburbs. The house was close to the station, there were plenty of supermarkets around, and it received a lot of sunlight. Not only that, but it was incredibly cheap as well. It was perfect.
A friend help them move in, and then they drank late into the night. It was too late to go home, so the friend stayed the night with them in their new house.
That night they heard what sounded like a child’s footsteps running down the hall, waking them up. They decided they must have been imagining things and went back to bed, but this time they were woken up by the sound of a child talking. By the time morning came, not a single one of them had gotten any sleep.
They found the previous night’s events to be strange. Too strange. Something had to be wrong with the house. They investigated the hallway and discovered a discarded blue crayon. Of course, it didn’t belong to either the couple or their friend.
Then they realised something. The layout of the house seemed off. The area they found the crayon in was the end of the hall, but according to the house plans, there was enough space behind it to fit another room.
They knocked on the wall. It sounded like there was an empty space behind it. They tore the wallpaper off and discovered a door. Nervously, they opened it and prepared themselves for something they might not want to see…
…But there was nothing there. It was just an empty room, its walls covered in something written in blue crayon.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
Father mother I’m sorry please let me out.
ABOUT
This urban legend has been around since the late 1980s. It’s also known as “Red Crayon” with slight variations, but the gist of the story remains the same. A couple buys a house that seems too good to be true, they hear strange things in the night, they discover a crayon on the floor and realise the layout of the house is strange, whereupon they discover a hidden room that is covered in crayon, the message of a poor child screaming for help.
Comedian Ijuin Hikaru shared this story in 1997 on an episode of the variety show Yamada Kuniko no Shiawase ni Shite yo. From there it spread to the masses and took off in popularity. One viewer of the show claimed the story was their personal experience that they had submitted to a magazine, and soon people began to spread the story as something real that happened to a friend of a friend, cementing its urban legend status. In the end, nobody was able to discover who really created the story, and Ijuin admitted that he heard the story from a work colleague where it was already being treated as an urban legend.
INSPIRED WORKS
A similar story was shared on 2chan on August 11, 2000. This story purported to be a true experience the poster’s friend had while working in real estate. The real estate agent noticed that one particular apartment had a hallway that was shorter than the rest and, after getting permission, knocked the wall down to discover a small closet-like space had been created. The inside walls were covered in red crayon, this time saying “mother mother mother mother mother.”
In 2012, a Vocaloid song was released called “Crayon” that featured lyrics about being in an enclosed space and “please let me out” repeated several times. Many listeners pointed out that this song was likely based on the blue crayon legend.
The story is still commonly shared today and widely regarded as a kaidan classic.
Daddy’s Back
There was a married couple who detested each other. Their relationship had long chilled, and they argued every day. Even so, the one thing that kept them from divorcing was their young son, an only child.
However, the father finally reached breaking point and murdered the mother. He disposed of the body and told everyone that she had gone back home to stay with her family. The father soon noticed something strange though. Their son never seemed sad that his mother was gone, nor did he cry out for her.
One day he decided to ask the boy about it.
“Hey, don’t you feel sad that your mother hasn’t been around lately?”
“No, I’m not sad. Mummy’s still here.”
“Huh? Where is she?”
“She’s been on Daddy’s back this whole time.”
ABOUT
This story also goes by the name “Sixth Sense” or “Piggy Back” and is considered a kaidan classic. It’s often used as the basis for other stories and has appeared on variety shows and radio programs numerous times over the years. There’s little information about when it first came to be, but it’s been around for several decades at least. It’s often retold with minor variations, but the punchline always remains the same: Mummy never went anywhere, she’s been clinging to Daddy (as a vengeful spirit) the whole time.
There is a phrase in Japanese that goes “nana-sai made wa kami no uchi.” It means that until a child turns seven, they belong to the gods. As in other cultures, childhood was a tumultuous time in ancient Japan and many died before reaching adulthood. If a child died, it was thought they were returning to the gods. This brought about
the idea that young children were close to divinity, and they were therefore able to see things adults couldn’t. This young boy, inhabiting the precarious region between humanity and divinity, isn’t sad because his dead mother isn’t gone; not to him, anyway. Daddy, no longer being a small child blessed with the gift of seeing the other side, has no idea that she’s been haunting him all this time, and if you’re anything like me, that’s a terrifying thought.
The Knock
A, her boyfriend B, and their two friends C and D decided to go on a mountain climbing trip to celebrate graduating university. The four friends were from the same club and had been friends since they started university.
They planned to set out for the cabin on the first day by car, spend the night there, and then go mountain climbing the next day. They wanted to go together, but B had an interview for a new job, so everyone else went by car and he would join them after on his bike.
A sat in the back while D drove, and his girlfriend C sat in the passenger’s seat. They were making good progress, but on the way up the mountain things suddenly turned chilly. Perhaps it was because of the rain the day before, but there was a slight fog hanging over the area as well.
At first, A was excited as she chatted with her friends, but she soon became drowsy and then fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, they were near the cabin. A realised she must have slept for quite some time. She got out of the car, her body stiff and lethargic. She breathed in the cool air, and looking around at the misty mountains, she noticed C and D looked concerned.
“What’s wrong?” A whispered.
The pair suddenly turned around and then locked eyes with each other. An uncomfortable silence descended, and A wondered if they had forgotten the cabin key.
“Hey, did something happen?”
The couple exchanged glances and finally nodded.
“A, keep calm and listen closely, okay?”
“You see, we got a call from the police just before. B was on his way here by bike and… He road over the edge of the mountain and died.”
“N-No…”
A was at a loss for words and fell to her knees. Even after they entered the cabin, A remained dumbfounded and in shock. She sat on the couch hugging her knees tight.
Night soon fell. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the cabin door.
“Hey! A! It’s me! Open up!”
It was B’s voice! A jumped up to open the door, but C and D pulled her back and restrained her.
“You can’t! B’s dead! It must be his ghost! He came to take you with him! You mustn’t open the door!”
“That’s right, A! Stay with us!”
The pair harshly warned A against opening the door, but the knocking continued.
“A, come on, open up! Please! You’re in there, aren’t you? Open the door, please!” B screamed desperately.
She wanted to see him again. Just one more time. That was all A could think. She shook C and D off and ran for the door. The door her boyfriend was waiting behind.
She flung the door open and was greeted with a white roof. B, his eyes swollen and bloodshot, looked down at her.
“A… Thank god…”
B grabbed her hand and grasped it tightly within his own. A couldn’t understand what was going on, so B explained. There was an accident, but it was A, C, and D who drove over the edge of a cliff. A was thrown from the backseat, and she had been stuck in a state between life and death all night long.
“C and D died instantly,” B said, hugging her tightly. “They must have been lonely there all by themselves, so they wanted to take you along with them.”
ABOUT
This is another story that’s been doing the rounds since at least the late 1990s. There are several variations on the story, such as how many people are involved and where the story takes place, but the general theme remains the same across them all. There is an accident, a woman is warned not to open the door because her boyfriend is dead, but in the end she gives in and it turns out that everyone else was dead, and they were trying to take her into the afterlife with them. It was her boyfriend’s knocking on the door that brought her back to the living. This story featured in an episode of the variety show Yonimo Kimyo na Monogatari, and has appeared in several manga set pieces as well.
VARIATIONS
On August 5, 2000, a slightly different version of this legend was shared on 2chan. This one, called “You Are!” tells the tale of two couples who go to the beach instead of the mountains. They decide to have a race on the way back, with one young man (B) on his bike while the rest drive back by car. Of course, B never makes it, and the other couple are forced to tell his girlfriend (A) that he had an accident while they were racing and he died. After he died, however, they heard him banging on their door and calling for them to open up, so if he does the same thing to her, she mustn’t open the door under any circumstances. The rest of the story runs much the same way, and eventually A caves in, opens the door, and finds herself in a hospital room. Turns out the others were the dead ones all along.
Another variation of this story features in Inagawa Junji’s book Inagawa Junji no Sugoku Kowai Hanashi Best Selection, released in 2001. Inagawa Junji is famous for his retellings of ghost stories, so when he shares a story it quickly becomes popular. In Inagawa’s version, called “The Messenger of Death,” a young woman and two men from the same club at university go to stay in a cabin in the mountains. In this version, the woman is dating one of the men (A) while the other (C) has a secret crush on her.
The two men leave the woman behind to go shopping; however, only C returns. He informs her that they were just in an accident and A died. If he happens to return, she must not open the door under any circumstances. Of course, A eventually returns and starts knocking loudly on the door, asking his girlfriend to open up. The woman can’t help herself because she loves him and opens the door. It turns out that, surprise surprise, C was actually the dead one all along.
Japanese culture, and particularly its horror stories, are most at home in the ghost, or yurei genre, which makes stories like this one and its terrifying twist at the end so popular and long-lasting.
Running Ghost
The students of Dorm H at a university in T City, Ibaraki Prefecture, have recently been troubled by something. That something is a ghost.
The ghost looks like a marathon runner and runs from one end of the dorms to the other, going straight through the walls. People have taken to calling it the “Running Ghost.” It treads on students as it runs through the dorm, and many wake up in surprise at being stepped on.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a member of the track team who died right before reaching the finishing line of a marathon? That’s gotta be him.”
After hearing the above, one student had an idea. The next night, everyone gathered in his room. He prepared a finish line and everyone held ribbons to cheer. Then, finally, the late night running ghost appeared. The ghost slipped through the wall as usual, and when the students cut the tape, the ghost appeared satisfied and disappeared.
When some of the students asked why the ghost had disappeared, the young man who came up with the idea answered, “What are you saying? He died before reaching the finishing line, right? That’s why we cut the tape for him. That was the goal tape he never got to reach while alive.”
ABOUT
The university in question is Tsukuba University in Ibaraki Prefecture. Dorm H refers to Hirasuna Dorm, one of several dorms used by Tsukuba students. Tsukuba University has a wide variety of urban legends surrounding it, but this is one of the more famous ones. Ironically, while this legend is well known to those outside of the university, many students claim to have never heard it before.
It’s unclear where this legend originated from. Some have surmised that the story was originally a regular ghost tale that became so popular it was placed in Tsukuba University to give it authenticity. The university already has a bunch of other legends, so what’s one more to the mix?<
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There’s also an interesting after story which mentions someone from the dorms accidentally saying, “Ready, go!” which causes the running ghost to appear again. At least they know how to deal with him this time…
Middle of the Photo
When taking a photo with three people, you must not sit in the middle. Whoever is in the middle when a photo is taken will meet with misfortune, and in some cases, death.
ABOUT
This rather short urban legend gets straight to the point, but never says why being the middle person in a three-person photo is dangerous. Some have suggested this legend came about because traditionally, the eldest and most respected person would sit in the middle for a photo, signifying their position of power. Being the eldest also meant that they were probably the person with the least amount of time left to live, and the person most likely to see their health start failing soon. Whether this is true or not, the idea of the middle being a precarious position prevailed and the legend persists in modern times.
ORIGINS
The origins of this legend can be traced back even further, however. As in many other countries, superstitions about photos have been around for many years. The first camera arrived in Japan on a Dutch ship in 1848, and taking portraits soon became a popular pastime. These cameras were large square boxes, however, and the image of a tiny person floating inside made people suspect that these magical boxes were actually capturing people’s souls.
Rumours quickly spread that “taking a photo will steal your soul!” This was especially dangerous for the person in the centre of the photo, the one directly in the camera’s sights. Old photographs were of questionable quality compared to today’s standards, and often the person in the middle was the only one in focus. This led to photos where the person in the centre was perfectly clear, yet the people beside them were blurry. This could only mean one thing: the person in the middle’s soul was taken from them, thus producing a clearer image than anyone else.