4 places to get goosebumps in Japan 恐怖

Haikyo, Abandoned Places

The Japanese word haikyo means "abandoned place" and has become particularly sinister. Nothing supernatural here except the impression of having been transported into the Silent Hill video game. Obviously, visitors and the curious attempt to venture into these large scale haunted houses. Among the many haikyo, the most popular: the ancient Matsuo sulphide mines (Iwate Prefecture), bathing in the mists of its natural geothermal energy; the Takakanomura Amusement Park (Fukushima Prefecture), with its rusty attractions; the ruins of Kogen Hotel in Okinawa , located atop the ruins of Nakagusuku castle. The hotel was never completed due to the presence of ghosts, and was abandoned by the state.

Ozoresan, the Gates of Hell

Located in Aomori, in the heart of a natural park, this "mountain of fear" is the Japanese equivalent of the Styx. The door to hell, the gathering place of souls who go by the lake Sanzu no Kawa. Moonscape and spectral fumes are explained by strong volcanic activity that contributes to beautiful colors around.

Blood on the Ceilings in Temples

If you go to Koshoji, Shodenji, Yogenin or Genkoan temples, you may get quite a scare discovering bloody footprints on the ceilings. Some imprints are even more surprising, as they seem to be of faces. No ghosts or special effects. These are real blood stains from a particular historic event: Fushimi Castle taken in 1600. When the castle was dismantled in 1620, some planks stained by samurai blood were bought by the temples. Their goal was to offer a vision to their monks of life's briefness.

Aokigahara, the Suicide Forest

At the foot of Mount Fuji is one of the most terrifying places of the country: a dense forest known for the many suicides that take place there. At the root of this reputation is a book called Kuroi Jukai (Black Forest), whose main characters commit suicide there. Since the release of this novel, the place seems to have become a favorite place of despair. On site, the authorities have placed signs trying to discourage walkers ("Think of your family!"). This does not prevent each year dozens of people going there to end their lives, to the point that an annual hunt is organized to find remains, sometimes undiscovered for years. This is probably one of the reasons why people persist in going there...