Okiku Doll
There is no doubting that dolls are creepy. Those big bug-like eyes are enough to turn the stomach. But what about a doll possessed by a girl's ghost?
Introducing the Okiku doll, named after the doll's first owner. The doll is quite big—40 centimeters (1'3″) in height—wears a kimono, and has hair that grows. Yes. Hair that grows.The Okiku doll can be found at the Mannenji temple in Iwamizawa, in Hokkaido prefecture. When the doll first appeared in the temple it had cropped hair, but over the years the hair has grown like a hippie's—to a whopping 25 centimeters (10 in). According to some, the hair is annually trimmed.
The legend goes that a teenage boy bought the doll for his two-year-old sister, Okiku. Okiku loved the doll; she played with it every day, dressed it up, spoke to it. Tragically, their friendship was short-lived: The girl died. Her family refused to get rid of the doll. After some time, they noticed its hair was growing, so they concluded that the spirit of their daughter resided within the doll.
In 1938, they made the executive decision to hand the doll over to the temple, where it remains to this very day.
The Red Room Curse
Pop-ups are annoying at the best of times. Well, how about ones that threaten you with imminent death? We are talking Japanese urban legends, so if the gaming glove fits . . . The "Red Room Curse" is simple.
A pop-up appears on your computer with a red door and the question "Do you like the red room?" in Japanese script. Once you click through a series of questions in the rudimentary Flash design, your name appears at the bottom of a list of other names. You may even recognize some of them as your friends. This will be the last thing you do. The next day you'll be found dead in your room; you've committed suicide and your walls are painted with your own blood.
As internet memes go, it's safe to say that Grumpy Cat is a lot more fun.As with so many urban legends, there's an element of truth to the tale. In 2004, a 14-year-old student known as "Girl A" killed her best friend in a infamous crime called the "Sasebo slashing." When police investigated her computer, they checked its browser history. The number one bookmark? The "Red Room" video.
The Curse Of The Kleenex Commercial
"Pass me a tissue. Thanks. Hang on—it's not a Kleenex, is it?"
This is the sort of chat you might have heard around Japan in the 1980s. During that decade, Kleenex launched an impressive ad campaign. The main characters in the ad were a woman in white and a young boy, dressed up as a tiny ogre. The music for the ad was "It's a Fine Day" by Jane and Barton.
All was not fine, however. Perhaps because the song was in a foreign tongue, rumors stared circulating that the tune was a German folk song with the lyrics "Die, die, everyone is cursed and will be killed." Probably not quite what Kleenex were going for.As a result, many viewers found the advert disturbing and several complaints were made. The ad was eventually pulled, but as soon as it was, the legends came thick and fast. The actress in the ad—Keiko Matsuzaka—was allegedly driven mad, or had become pregnant with the devil's child, depending on who you listened to. The young child playing the ogre-slash-pumpkin-human hybrid died mysteriously. Every member of the crew that worked on the ad died as well. With all that death and destruction, you'd definitely need a tissue or two to keep the tears at bay.
Jinmenken (Human-Faced Dogs)
Have you ever wished your dog could talk to you? Well, why don't you go and get yourself a Jinmenken?
