When traveling to Japan, you can't help but feel a chill down your spine if you pass through these places, but you are also quite curious about the origin of the name. This time, we have collected 6 "creepy place names" from all over Japan, and it is also interesting to explore the legends behind the scary names, so let's take a look!
▋血洗岛（ちあらいじまchiaraijima）
There is an area in Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture called "Bloody Island", which sounds like a horror scene from a ghost movie! The current "Bloody Island" is not an island, but a location near the Tone River, which is the hometown of Shibusawa Eiichi, the "father of Japanese capitalism", that is, the portrait of the 10,000 yen denomination of Japan's new banknotes in 2024. Shibusawa Eiichi was also asked in an interview about the origin of the name of his hometown.
Bloody island scenery
According to records, there are various theories about the origin of the name "Bloody Island", one of which is that during the Heian period when Hachiman Taro Yoshiya was on an expedition to Oshu, there was a battle near this place, and one of the retainers was cut off and taken to the Tone River to cleanse, so it was called "Bloody Island", and it is rumored that this hand was also buried here.
Japan's newly issued 10,000 yen banknote features Eiichi Shibusawa on the obverse
The former residence of Eiichi Shibusawa near Bloodbath Island
The second theory is derived from the Ainu language, where it has been pointed out that the word "keshi" in the Ainu language means "shore", which can be written as "bloodbath" if transliterated into kanji, and the "tone" in the nearby "Tone River" also comes from the Ainu word for "long". The third theory is that the abundant water of the Inone River irrigated the surrounding wasteland, turning it into a floodplain, as if the land (ちchi) had been cleansed (あらいarai).
▋鬼死骸(おにしがいonishikai)
The scary name "Oni Dead Remains" is located in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and is an old place name that does not exist today. Legend has it that during the Nara period, this place was originally a village called "Sakuranoso of Gokatsu-go", but in 801 AD, Sakagami Tamura Maro invaded Mutsu Province by conquering Ezo, successfully defeated Datakemaru and buried his remains here, so it is called "Oni Dead Remains". Legend has it that the head of Daitakemaru was cut off by Sakaue Tamura Maro and flew to the area of present-day Miyagi Prefecture, where it was named "Oni Shou". During the Meiji Restoration, the "Oni Dead Village" was the official name of the administrative village, but it disappeared due to the reorganization of the region.
Probably because the name "Ghost Dead" is so rare, and the legend behind it, the local bus stop continued to keep the "Ghost Dead Stay" until 2016. Since 2019, with the popularity of "Demon Slayer", the local area has unexpectedly become a pilgrimage site for fans, and even a terrifying place name tour will be held in 2021!
▋鬼の舌震(おにのしたぶるいoninoshitaburui)
"Ghost Tongue Shock" is a famous spot in Okuizumo Town, Shimane Prefecture, and is famous for its huge rocks, magnificent valleys, and beautiful autumn foliage in autumn. According to the Izumo Province Fudoki, there was a beautiful goddess named Tamakihime who lived here, and a crocodile from the Sea of Japan was very fond of Tamakihime, and came here day after day along the river in the hope of kissing Yoshizawa, but Tamakihime did not like crocodiles, so blocking the Mamu River with a huge rock aroused the crocodile's deeper longing. And "ワニが Mu ったwanigashitatta" (crocodile loves her) was falsely rumored to be "鬼のtongue shock (おにのしたぶるいoninoshitaburui)".
"Demon's tongue tremor" inscription
Tongue Shock Love Suspension Bridge
The area around the "Oni Tongue Earthquake" is a biotite granite geology that has been eroded by the Omamu River rapids for many years, forming a 2-kilometer-long V-shaped canyon. The steep cliffs on both sides of the river, the huge rocks stacked on the bottom of the valley, and the landform washed by the river create a unique landscape, and it has been designated as a National Scenic Area and a Natural Monument. In 2013, the "Tongue Shock Love Suspension Bridge" was also opened for tourists to enjoy.
▋阎魔前町(えんままえちようenmamaechō)
Kyoto, which has a history of 1,000 years, is a place full of legends of ghosts and gods, and in present-day Jogyo Ward, there is a "Hiikaiji Temple", also known as "Senbon Yamado", which was built at the beginning of the Heian period. The meaning of "induction" is to extradite the soul of the deceased to another world, so a statue of the god "Yama King", who is in charge of hell, was set up at the junction of the two worlds and enshrined, and the area in front of the "Senbon Yamado" is still called "Enmamae Town". The Yama statue in the main hall of the temple is usually closed to the public, and is only open to the public on the 16th of every month.
▋饿鬼岳(がきだけgakidake)
Japan's beautiful mountain range, the Northern Alps, which straddles the three prefectures of Nagano, Gifu and Toyama, is known for its tranquil and magnificent scenery, but the terrifying name "Hungry Mt. Ogidake" appears among the many mountains, which seems to be a bit of a contradiction. The mountain rises to an altitude of 2,647 meters above sea level, and its name is varied, but it is believed that it is called "Ya (がけ)岳 (だけ)" because of the many cliffs that are prone to collapse. In addition, there is also a "Hungry Ghost Mountain" (がきやま) on the border between Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures, with an altitude of about 741 meters.
▋首无（くびなしkubinashi）
"Shouwu" translates into Chinese to mean "headless", which is the name of a bus stop in Tomi City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and it is inevitable that you will feel a little hairy when you see it when you pass by. Legend has it that in the early years, there was a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva here, because of the remote location, some thieves would divide the stolen goods nearby, but they were very concerned about the statue of Jizo Bodhisattva, and always felt uneasy, so they cut off the head of Jizo Bodhisattva, and since then there is a legend of headless Jizo, and this area is also named "Shou Mu".
There are many place names related to "oni" all over Japan, and although they may seem strange and eerie, it is not difficult to find that the little stories hidden in the names are very interesting, whether they are anecdotes passed down by word of mouth or well-researched historical materials, they are an important part of the local culture.
Japan actually has a "bloody island" and a "ghost dead corpse village"? Tesco! Japan