Fear or fun? Japan’s ‘Monster Street’

Although the prefecture of Tottori is sought-after for its rustic, serene setting, its port city Sakaiminato holds a curious or spine-chilling sensation to the grim and ghastly — or a welcome treat for those familiar with Japanese creatures.

Mizuki Shigeru Road has earned a reputation as one of the most unique streets in Japan and possibly the world. This alleyway, which stretches short of a kilometer, is popular for its various bronze statues of yokai – or supernatural entities and spirits. Terrifying? Maybe not!

You see, these revenants are not as gruesome as apparitions from Hollywood and East Asian horror-thriller. Instead, these characters are directly credited to the manga GeGeGe no Kitaro, created by Mizuki Shigeru himself.

The yokai-fest unfolded the moment one alighted from the city's train station. In fact, one of the first eye-catching sights was the Ghost Train, a special caravan with a special glaring eyeball design and scary train announcements over speakers. It regularly plies this route, so stay alert!

Upon arrival, it is best to drop by the station's Information Center where you receive a copy of a booklet — a comprehensive guidebook that also serves as a stamp rally — to collect several marks at partner establishments for a special spooky prize.

Don't forget to check out the eyeball lamps on taxis, or chilling specialty stores that sell nothing but monster paraphernalia. Some ATMs have spine-tingling warnings to never tell your password to beasts which may whisper in your ear. In the evening, the streetlights illuminate the concrete to reveal silhouettes of the yokai as if they were following you around town.

Here are our five favorite highlights around the vicinity:

Kitaro
The entire strip of land is dedicated to Kitaro, the protagonist of the comics, who solves the supernatural problems of his community. His peers and adversaries line the streets, plus other eerie tidbits along the walk.

Nezumi-Otoko
A rodent in appearance, he is the
self-proclaimed best friend of Kitaro. He is the author's favorite character, often plotting mischievous schemes for a quick buck. He is one of the most popular characters of the series due to his playful personality.

Isogashi
Literally meaning busy, this yokai lives off of the restlessness of other persons. This phantom is normally thin and frail in appearance, with ribs showing and a bald head except for some yellow hair. His face is a jumbled mess. This wraith often possesses humans as an act of revenge, but may also do it out of whimsical reasons.

Hari-Onna
The needle-woman, she is characterized by long black hair that stretches though her whole body, while she bears no visible mouth and her eyes are just orange circles. The specter is based off of the nure-onago, who tricks unsuspecting victims who wish to help the poor-looking lady.

Nopperabo
With no eyes and nose and only a mouth, this phantasm steals the facial features of his victims. He does so by luring them with tempura that are made of so-called death candles, that could be considered our version of will-o-wisps.