5 places to scare yourself after dark
- Published on : 17/09/2018
- by : S.V.
- Youtube
Monument to Hôichi at the Akama jingu
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Thrills and chills in the archipelago
Haunted sites, spooky attractions, abandoned places or haikyo, unexplained phenomena, nocturnal visits on the trail of ghosts and spirits of all kinds... In Japan, thrill-seekers are delighted by the archipelago's abundance of places to be spooked. So many, in fact, that listing all the places that give you a cold headache and make you scream is a tall order. Yokai, yurei, oni, myths and legends have always been an integral part of Japanese daily life.
Here we present you with five venues, so it was a tough choice! There's something for everyone in this deliberately eclectic selection. The last rays of the sun have just faded, and darkness is setting in. So get ready for goose bumps.
Panic fear thanks to new technologies
In Odaiba, at the Diver City Tokyo Plaza shopping center, experience the new technology version of fear. The Tyffonium complex features the latest generation of virtual and augmented reality in its two attractions.
One of them, "The Corridor", will have you screaming in terror. Alone or in pairs, you'll make your way through a huge abandoned mansion, with only a small lantern to keep you from getting your feet stuck in the carpet.
A pleasant encounter in the Tyffonium Corridor
https://www.tyffonium.com
The only problem is that the current occupants (ghosts, emaciated monsters, insects of all kinds) are not prepared to welcome you with open arms.
Equipped with a virtual reality headset, you move around a room with a green background. Tyffonium's slogan of "the fusion of illusion and reality" is apt, as you are truly immersed in the attraction. There's no avatar here, just your feet, your body and the face of your playmate. The experience is so intense that we advise you to read the medical warnings before entering "the Corridor".
Tyffonium, 1 Chome-1-10 Aomi, Koto, Tokyo 135-0064. A second Tyffonium will open on November 23 in Shibuya
Tel: +81 3-5579-6332
Open daily from 10am to 9pm
Adult price: 2,400 yen (€18.50)
https://www.tyffonium.com
Here's the Corridor promotional video:
Feeding your body and... your soul
In the Kichijoji district on the outskirts of Tokyo, the Yurei Izakaya (literally"ghost izakaya") offers a literally deadly evening! When you arrive, the warning is clear: only the dead are allowed on the premises. To cross the threshold of the izakaya, you must die! Oh, dear! Calm down! Playing the role of a spirit for the duration of the meal will suffice! At the table, your waiter will be keen to tell you all about the causes of his death as he serves you your bloody dish.
Yurei Izakaya, 1 Chome-8-11 Kichijoji Minamicho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-0003.
Open daily from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m
Tel: +81 422-41-0194
http://www.yurei.jp
At the yurei izakaya, ghosts prepare your cocktail
http://www.kita-colle.com
Listen to the legend of the Akama jingu
In the legend of Mimi-nashi-Hôichi, or"Hôichi the Earless", told by Lafcadio Hearn in his book "Kwaïdan" or "Stories and Studies of Strange Things", a storyteller and biwa player has to contend with the ghosts of the Taira clan. Samurai lead him each night before an audience eager to hear the talented Hôichi tell the tragic story of the Taira clan's defeat by the Minamoto at the battle of Dan-no-ura in April 1185. Blind, the musician doesn't realize that he's actually performing in the cemetery of the Akama shrine, where the only spectators are the ghosts of the fallen clan.
Akama jingu in Shimonoseki
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Masaki Kobayashi immortalized Hôichi's story in his 1964 film Kwaidan
Masaki Kobayashi
To put an end to the spirits' hold over poor Hôichi, priests cover his body with verses from the Heart Sutra. This protection will only be effective if he remains motionless and silent when they come for him again. That night, the ghost samurai found nothing of Hôichi's but his ears. Forgotten by the priests, the latter remained visible. It was then that a warrior, perplexed by these two appendages alone, tore them off him as proof of obedience to his master. After your visit to the Akama shrine, do you think you can sleep soundly?
Akama jingu, 4-1 Amidaijicho, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture 750-0003
Tel: +81 83-231-4138
Open daily 24 hours a day
Free
http://www.tiki.ne.jp/~akama-jingu/
The possessed doll
Since 1938, the Mannenji temple in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, has housed a very strange relic. It's a child's doll enshrined in a small altar. It is said to house the spirit of its deceased young owner, Kikuko. Shortly after the doll's death, Kikuko's parents are astonished to discover that the doll's hair is growing. They saw this as a sign of their child's presence. Her spirit had taken possession of the beloved toy. Much later, the doll, nicknamed Okiku, is donated to Mannenji temple, where anyone can come and listen to the priests recount how Okiku's hair continues to grow, forcing them to cut it regularly.
Mannenji, 75 Kurisawacho Manjisaiwaicho, Iwamizawa, Hokkaido 068-3152
Tel: +81 126-47-3941
Open every day
The Okiku doll is possessed by the spirit of her deceased young mistress
https://ck101.com
Not even scared!
Younger children also like to be scared, so you can take them to Tokyo's Ikebukuro district to do what "the grown-ups" do. The Namco Namja Town children's theme park in the Sunshine City shopping mall offers a range of activities:mononoke (vengeful spirits ) hunting , zombie fighting and a terrifying face-to-face encounter with the famous Japanese toilet ghost. It's a chance for our little ones to show their mettle! So, kids, cap or uncap?
Thrills and chills for young and old!
https://bandainamco-am.co.jp/tp/namja/
Namco Name Town, 3-1-3, Higashi-ikebukuro | 2F Sunshine City World Import Mart, Toshima 170-0013, Tokyo
Tel: +81 3-5950-0765
Open daily from 10am to 10pm
Adult ticket: 500 yen (€380); child ticket: 300 yen (€230). Attractions at extra charge.
https://bandainamco-am.co.jp/tp/namja/
