About Nippon Ghost

Nippon Ghost is an English-language guide to Japan's strange stories: yokai, kaidan and traditional lore, modern urban legends and internet creepypasta, and places in Japan that are said to be haunted. We write for readers outside Japan who want more than a spooky one-liner — the story itself, where it comes from, and what it means in its Japanese setting.

Why we started it

Many Japanese ghost stories reach English-speaking readers as short, context-free summaries, often with details lost or invented along the way. We want to offer a careful alternative: clear English, the original Japanese names and terms, and an honest account of what is old folklore, what is recent internet fiction, and what is simply rumor.

What you will find here

• Yokai — the creatures and spirits of Japanese folklore, from well-known figures to regional oddities.
• Kaidan and lore — traditional ghost stories and the books, regions, and customs they come from.
• Urban legends and creepypasta — modern tales spread by word of mouth, school rumor, and online boards.
• Haunted places — locations with ghost stories attached. These articles always carry a caution notice: many sites are private property, dangerous, or connected to real tragedies, and we do not encourage anyone to visit them.

How we research and label stories

Every article carries a label that tells you what kind of story you are reading:

• Fact — documented history or events that can be checked against reliable sources.
• Folklore — traditional stories and beliefs, presented as stories rather than as verified events.
• Internet fiction — stories that began online as creative writing or creepypasta.
• Unverified rumor — claims we could not trace to a reliable source.

We list our sources as numbered references so you can check them yourself. When a story started on an online board such as 2channel/5channel, we summarize it in our own words and quote no more than a sentence or two, with the source. Illustrations are public-domain artworks such as emaki scrolls and ukiyo-e prints, or our own diagrams; if we ever use AI-generated images, they are labeled as such. You can read the full details in our Editorial Policy.

Who runs Nippon Ghost

Nippon Ghost is operated by Ayana Sasaki as Japanese.

Get in touch

Spotted an error, have a better source, or want to ask about press or permissions? See our Contact page. For our rules on accuracy and corrections, see the Editorial Policy; for important notes on safety and accuracy, see the Disclaimer.