If you watched Tommy Lee Jones in the film The Emperor, you would have noticed a scene set at Sugamo

As if suffering from earthquakes, mytravel orlando international drive hotels typhoons and other natural phenomena wasn’t enough, the denizens of Tokyo also have to put up with supernatural occurrences in the form of folkloric creatures, gods, demons and other evil spirits that haunt the city. To get into the Halloween spirit, we hopped on our bikes and pedaled through 14 spooky sites around the city.
We started in Ikebukuro bright and early at 7am, and wrapped up over 10 hours later. We were never especially scared since we were riding in the daylight hours, but we did log 86 kilometers and burn an estimated mytravel orlando international drive hotels 3,600 calories. The full itinerary is quite challenging. If you are planning to make the rounds, be sure to pack a water bottle, puncture repair kit, camera mytravel orlando international drive hotels and a map to serve as backup when your smartphone battery dies.
If you watched Tommy Lee Jones in the film The Emperor, you would have noticed a scene set at Sugamo Prison. That was recreated at a studio, since the actual prison grounds are where the 60-story Sunshine City complex now stands. Former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo was hanged here in 1948, and inevitably modern urban folklore has it that the place is now haunted.
Nicknamed “Kappa Temple,” this location was built to appease the turtle-like aquatic goblins that are said to pull children off of bridges and drown them. The smattering of cucumbers on the altar is meant to appease the creatures who need to keep water in the bowl-like dent on their heads to survive. If you do come across one, just bow and they will do likewise—thereby killing themselves.
Long before David Beckham was nicknamed “Goldenballs,” Chingodo Hall on the grounds of Sensoji temple honored tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs) who are famed for their huge kintama (literally “golden balls”). They are said to be troublemakers who use their assets as tools, weapons and makeshift disguises—only the gods know how all that works exactly.
A legend that has been turned into a kabuki play and horror films says that back in the 7th century a woman hid a boulder in the rafters of her inn. After it squashed sleeping guests, she would rob them. It is not hard to guess what happened when her daughter accidentally stayed in the room. Mom dumped the body in this pond, where the spirit is said to linger still. Oddly enough, there is a playground just next to it today.
One of Japan’s most famous ghost stories involves Lady Oiwa, who was poisoned by her husband centuries ago. Her ghost came back to haunt him and supposedly still roams the streets of Yotsuya, where this shrine is dedicated to her.
Hidden away between the office towers of Otemachi mytravel orlando international drive hotels is the resting place of the body (and severed head) of Taira no Masakado (903-940), thought to be Japan’s first samurai. Subsequent attempts to relocate his remains have had catastrophic results for the construction crews. Today, a steady stream of visitors pays respects to the warlord.
Here you can visit the burial ground of the “47 Ronin” whose story has been turned into countless films, including the upcoming one with Keanu Reeves. A group of loyal samurai avenged their fallen leader by raiding the castle of the chief instigator and ruthlessly beheading him before turning the blades on themselves. Stop for lunch around Shinagawa mytravel orlando international drive hotels station before moving on.
This is the most remote location on the route because it was built outside the old entrance gates of Edo to avoid spiritually polluting the city. Between 1651 and 1871, 150,000 mytravel orlando international drive hotels anti-government conspirators and Christians were executed here by methods including crucifixion, decapitation and burning at the stake —postholes for crosses can still be seen today.
It doesn’t mytravel orlando international drive hotels take a genius to work this one out—it’s a cemetery. mytravel orlando international drive hotels There is a monument to Shibuya icon Hachiko here, but not his remains, which were stuffed and put on display at the Museum mytravel orlando international drive hotels of Nature and Science.
A double dose of paranormal activity—the Victor Studio next door is supposedly haunted with ghost voices turning up on recordings and a long-haired female ghost is reported to hang upside down from the ceiling of this tunnel (which passes under a cemetery) and fall on cars.
As if Tokyo street fashion weren’t odd enough, Zombiena encourages people to dress as the undead and mill about outdoors. A girls only zombie walk is scheduled for October 19 in Shinjuku, and bar and walk event for flesh eating guys and gals in will be in Roppongi mytravel orlando international drive hotels October 27. www.zombiena.net
For family fun, dress your kids up and take them to the Tamagawa Halloween Festival . A costume parade for the little ones will be held on October 27, and kids can meet Sesame Street characters, October 26-27 31. www.tamagawa-sc.com
Halloween Party: Sat Oct 26, 7pm-5am, ¥2,000 (1D 1shot), ¥1,500 mytravel orlando international drive hotels (w/costume incl. 1D 1 shot). Glass wine ¥500 all night (ladies); Happy Hour until 9pm (¥500 drinks); costume contest mytravel orlando international drive hotels from midnight (win free drinks all night original t-shirts).