Japanese Urban Legends

Hachishakusama

Hachishakusama is an urban legend about a tall woman who abducts children.

Hachishakusama is Japanese for "eight feet tall", which is understandable, considering that the woman is eight feet tall. She wears a long white dress, along with a white hat. She also makes a sound in a male voice that sounds like "Po... Po... Po..." 

She kind of reminds me of a Japanese version of Slenderman, especially since they have the same motives and similar appearances.

Since Hachishakusama is a long and odd name, we're going to nickname her "Hachi" for this summary, which now just means "eight" in Japanese.

Anyways, Hachi can disguise herself as relatives of the child, in order to deceive them and allow her to make her way to the kid easier. When she takes a liking for a kid, then they are destined to die within a few days by her hands.

Some say that this urban legend was written to try and make children stay close to their guardians and not run off, but that hasn't been confirmed. It is a pretty good idea though, similar to why La Llorona (A Spanish urban legend) was written.

It is said that the only way to escape her once you see her is to follow a few complex rules (which involves nonstop praying and visiting a few priests) to avoid meeting her and then leaving Japan altogether. And if you return, Hachi will find you instantly as soon as you set foot back in Japan- even if you're an adult. Once Hachi likes a child, she will never give up taking their soul, even if a decade passes.

There is also a popular and well-written story that goes along with this legend. It is definitely creepy and gets more intense as you read it, so if you want to check it out, click on the external link below. The website gives a one-paragraph summary of who Hachi is, and then starts the story right away.