In Japan, summer is said to be the perfect season for horror stories because it gives you a nice chill.
In summer, many people watch horror movies and visit haunted places.
In this article, we will introduce the top 3 most haunted places in Kyoto that are easy to reach from Kyoto City, just in time for the summer season that will soon be here.
1. Ichijo Modori-bashi bridge | a bridge where the dead come alive
Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City.
Ichijo Modori-bashi Bridge, located near Kyoto Gyoen, one of the most famous parks in Kyoto, is famous as a haunted place with a legend that the dead can be brought back to life.
The bridge is also associated with "Seimei Abe," the most famous of the "Onmyoji" or "yin-yang masters" who were active during the Heian period (794-1185) in Japan, and is said to have a mysterious atmosphere surrounding the area.
Ichijo Modori-bashi Bridge, located at the intersection of Horikawa-dori and Ichijo-dori, is said to be "the border between this world and the next. There are many scary rumors that usually take place during night, such as people spotting pale women ghosts, and white shadows appearing in pictures.
"Modori" means "return" in Japanese, hence there is a legend that if a young woman crosses this bridge, she will end up separating from her partner even if she gets married. Many people in Kyoto detour from crossing this bridge.
＜ Scary episodes of Ichijo Modori-bashi bridge ＞
According to "Tale of the Heike", one day, a military commander named Watanabe no Tsuna was asked by a beautiful woman at the foot of this bridge late at night to give her a ride home because it was late and she was afraid. Immediately, the woman changed into a demon, grabbed Tsuna by the hair, and flew toward Mt. Atago. Tsuna was able to cut off the demon's arm with his sword and escape, but it is said that he was almost dragged into the afterlife.
In addition to the above, there are many other scary episodes at Ichijo Modori-bashi Bridge.
When visiting Ichijo Modori-Bashi Bridge, it is recommended to visit the nearby Seimei Shrine, which enshrines the Yin-Yang master Abe no Seimei.
In the precincts of Seimei Shrine, there is a miniature Ichijo Modori-Bashi Bridge, as shown below, which was reproduced using materials that were actually used, and you can enjoy the atmosphere of the time when the bridge was feared as a "border between the afterlife".
Ichijo Modori-Bashi Bridge
Address: Ichijo-dori, Shukei-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Seimei Shrine
Address: 806 Seimei-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Phone:075-441-6460
Hours of worship: 9 am-5 pm (open year-round)
Admission: Free
Access: A short walk from Ichijo Modori-bashi/Harumyo-jinja-mae bus stop by Kyoto City Bus
Approximately 2 minutes walk from Horikawa-Imadegawa
Official website:https://www.seimeijinja.jp/
2. Rokudo no Tsuji street | the boundry between the afterlife
Rokudo no Tsuji, located in the southeast of downtown Kyoto, has been called "the dividing road between this world and the afterlife" since ancient times, and has been considered a very haunted spot since then.
In the past, the Toribeno area located to the east was the place where "wind burial" was practiced, where corpses were left to rot, and Rokudo no Tsuji, the entrance to the temple, was thought to be the boundary between this world and the other world.
A Certain Ghost Story about Rikudo no Tsuji
In 1599, a woman died and was buried, and from the earth came the sound of a child crying.
When they dug deeper, they found a child that the deceased woman had given birth to.
At that time, there was a woman who came to a candy store near Rikudo Tsuji every night to buy candy, but after the child was found, she stopped coming and it is said that she became a ghost and came to buy candy to raise the child she gave birth to in the grave.
There is actually a candy store near Rokudo no Tsuji named "Minatoya Yurei Kosodateame Honpo" that is associated with the above ghost story.
If you like horror stories, it is a good idea to visit there to commemorate the event.
Minatoya Yurei Kosodateame Honpo
Address: 〒605-0063 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Rokurocho, 東入ル西
Phone:075-561-0321
Hours of operation: 10 am-4 pm
Closed: Open all year round
Access: 6 min. walk from "Shimizu-michi" city bus stop.
Official website:https://kosodateame.com/ame/
Among the Rokudo no Tsuji, Rokudo Chinnoji Temple is especially famous as a mystery spot.
In Rokudo Chinnoji Temple, there remains a well that was used as an entrance to the other world, commonly known as the Well of Underworld Passage. If you look into the well, you may be taken away to the other side of the world.
Wells are often seen in Japanese horror movies, so it is a good place to visit if you are a fan of horror movies.
Rokudo Chinnoji Temple
595 Komatsucho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0811
Phone:075-561-4129
Access: 5 min. walk from "Shimizu-michi" city bus stop.
Admission: Free
Official website:http://www.rokudou.jp/
3. Midoro-ga-ike pond | the place where "cab ghost stories" began
Midoro-ga-ike Pond in Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, with a circumference of 1.5 km and an area of 9 ha, is known as one of the most haunted places in Japan.
The most famous anecdote is the story of a cab that picked up a wet-haired woman in front of Kyoto University Hospital in 1969.
When the cab came near the pond, the woman who was supposed to be in the cab was gone, and the police searched for her but could not find her.
Later, it was discovered that the woman who had died at the Kyoto University Hospital on the same day as the cab ride was from the Midoro-ga-ike area, and this incident was reported in the local newspaper, marking the beginning of a ghostly phenomenon associated with cabs.
It's a story that makes you want to stop going there by cab....
Near Midoro-ga-ike, there used to be a hospital for tuberculosis patients, and many people died every day from the disease, which was said to be incurable at the time.
A morgue was set up in the facility, but because there were so many bodies, there are rumors that they were not properly buried and were "sunk in the Midoro-ga-ike pond."
Because of this background, there have been many sightings of ghosts and humanoid figures, and various ghost stories have been told.
It is one of the most haunted places in Japan, so those who want to visit a haunted place may want to visit.
Midoro-ga-ike Pond
Address: 67-1 Kamigamo Midoroikecho, Kita Ward, Kyoto
Access: Kyoto City Bus, Kyoto Bus Midoro-ga-ike Bus stop
15 minutes on foot from Kitayama Station on the Subway Karasuma Line
The rich history of Kyoto also means there are plenty of horror stories!
Thus, Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, has various anecdotes and legends because of its long history.
Why not visit a haunted spot while remembering some scary episodes?
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