[JapanUrbanLegend] Kisaragi Station
Kisaragi Station Urban Legend
The Kisaragi Station urban legend is one of Japan's most legendary urban myths, originating from a post made on 2ch (a Japanese online forum) on January 8, 2004, at 23:14. The user, known as "Hasumi" (葉純), began posting real-time updates about a bizarre experience he was going through, which would soon capture the imagination of many. Over time, Kisaragi Station came to be known as a non-existent, eerie, and mysterious station that could be reached under unusual circumstances.
1. Hasumi's First Experience
At 23:40 on January 8, Hasumi boarded a train at Shihamamatsu Station, a station on a local railway line in Shizuoka. He expected to arrive home in about 20 minutes, as usual, but that night he found himself in a strange and inexplicable situation. The train didn't stop for 20 minutes, and all the passengers appeared to be asleep. Confused by this, Hasumi soon realized the train had stopped at a station called "Kisaragi Station," a place that did not exist.
The station was eerily deserted. There were no people, no taxis, no public phones, and even when he called the police, they dismissed his concerns as a prank. Hasumi, now deeply unsettled, began posting updates to the 2ch thread:
"There’s no one here... no roads either... What should I do?"
He received several replies from other users, advising him to go back to the station. However, terrified, Hasumi couldn’t bring himself to turn around. In the distance, he heard strange sounds—such as the sound of drums and bells. Following the sounds, he encountered an old man with one leg, who warned him, "It’s dangerous to walk on the tracks." After this, the old man disappeared.
Hasumi then started walking along the tracks, eventually passing through a tunnel called Isanuki Tunnel and reaching a village called Hina. In the village, he met a person who offered to take him to a business hotel. However, the driver’s intentions seemed off, and Hasumi began to feel something was wrong.
"This person is strange. I think I’ll have to jump out of the car when he turns a corner."
His posts continued until about 3:00 AM on January 9, but after that, Hasumi’s updates stopped abruptly. He disappeared without a trace.
2. Hasumi’s Disappearance
In 2011, Hasumi resurfaced briefly on Twitter, where he once again mentioned Kisaragi Station. He claimed that he met a man there who said, "I’ll handle him, you go to the light over there!" Following the light, Hasumi found himself in a disorienting situation, where it seemed as if both 2004 and 2011 were blending together. After this, Hasumi’s whereabouts were once again unknown.
3. The Possibility of Fabrication
Despite the compelling nature of the story, several inconsistencies have led many to question its authenticity.
- Shihamamatsu Station is the terminal station for the Enshu Railway, and it is practically impossible for Hasumi to have boarded the wrong train there, as the station is the final stop.
- The claim that the train did not stop for 20 minutes is also highly unlikely. Trains on the Enshu Railway take only 1-3 minutes to reach the next station, making the 20-minute non-stop claim unrealistic.
- Hasumi’s mention of needing 5 to 7 minutes to get somewhere is also inconsistent with the actual time it takes to travel on the line.
- Initially, Hasumi suggested that he could have called a taxi or his parents for help when he first arrived at Kisaragi Station, yet later he ended up boarding a car to a business hotel near Hina, which doesn't quite add up.
- Another glaring contradiction is the time discrepancy. Hasumi says he boarded the train at 23:40, but the thread starts at 23:14, which creates an inconsistency in the timeline.
4. The Craft of Storytelling
Despite these contradictions, the detailed narrative and mounting tension in Hasumi’s posts had a profound impact on those who read it. The story of Kisaragi Station quickly spread, and many people believed it to be true. Even though the tale is likely a work of fiction, it remains one of Japan's most chilling urban legends.
Hasumi is now remembered as the creator of the Kisaragi Station legend, which has been retold countless times and remains a staple of Japanese horror folklore.