As expected, there are not many places in the world that take more of a jaw-dropping turn than Japan when it comes to disturbing toys. That being said, here are my top ten most disturbing Japanese toys that I would seriously hesitate giving to any child.

10. Poop and Pee Plushies

Japan has a strange relationship with poop. I can’t tell you how many potty-training and poop related children’s toys I’ve come across, but it’s more than I could have ever imagined. Sure, poop jokes are always funny, but somehow the idea of teaching your child to snuggle with their own excrement via plushies just doesn’t sound healthy to me. Please, prove me wrong.

9. H-Bouya USB Toy

The H-Bouya is a plug in USB toy in the form of a small boy. I’m not sure what twisted tween-age mind came up with this one, but the H-Bouya’s main trick is giggling and blushing every time you press the letter “h” on your keyboard. In Japanese “h” stands for “etchi,” meaning sex, erotic, or pervert (oh my god, she said “h” hehehehe). The H-bouya also reacts to other love related words like suki (like/love), deeto (date), and much more.

I guess it’s kinda funny, but I’m not sure if the H-bouya is supposed to be amusing for kids or adults. It seems like it would get old faster than the new Ferby which lasted only about 30 seconds after I turned it on.

8. Virus Plush

In the past few years, plushies in the shape of diseases have become pretty common in the States, but that’s not the only place. This Japanese plush for babies is modeled after a virus for maximum fun time! Above left is the Japanese virus plush. Below, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). And above right, a small child that appears to be contracting AIDS.

Am I the only one that sees the resemblance? No? Well, this is sure to be a happy ending. I can’t see how anything could go wrong here.

7. Face Bank

My parents have always taught me the importance of saving money, but honestly, I’ve never really been any good at it. But you know, It’s really a shame that a bank like this one didn’t exist when I was a kid because I’m sure I would have saved money in fear that Satan would devour my soul if I didn’t offer it my lunch money as tribute.

As shown, the Face Bank comes in solid colors and is rather plain – that is, expect for the soulless, haunting eyes and subhuman face protruding from the front of it. The Face Bank will stare you down with its lifeless, chimpanzee face until you appease it with your pocket change. It will then proceed to devour said change with its robotic jaws and then let out a satisfied belch.

There is something truly terrifying about a robotic creature mimicking human-like functions in such a lifeless manner. Seriously, this thing is pure nightmare fuel.

6.Road Kill Cat

“Mommy? What happened to Mittens?” Don’t even bother conjuring up some BS story about Mittens running  away or going off to play with the neighbors. Just throw your kid this thing and they’ll eventually get the idea. Or, at least it will give them something to do with all those extra Hot Wheels cars laying around the house. I’m sure they’ll be just as happy as the kid on the package- all smiles! :D

5. Rubber Lips

Do you remember those old “candy” lips that looked really tasty but actually tasted like freshly waxed baboon butt (and were about the same color)? That’s what these Japanese toy rubber lips reminded me of when I first saw them, only somehow much more disturbing (not at all in a suggestive way). Japanese rubber lips are mobile, so you can preform a range of activities while wearing them including talking, eating hoagies, or even scaring the Milk of Magnesia out of your aged neighbors! Honestly, I’m not sure what the purpose of these things is, but I really don’t want to know.

4. Russian Roulette Toy Gun

“Hey guys! I’ve got a great idea!” Let’s play with guns!” That’s basically what this Japanese Russian Roulette game says to me. The game includes a toy gun similar to a Nerf gun that “fires” randomly. Young children put the toy gun to their heads and pull the trigger to test their luck. Somehow making the gun shoot out hippopotamus legs instead of bullets is supposed to make this so much more acceptable.

Sounds like a roaring good time to me. In expert mode kids use a real gun!

3. Japanese Pregnant Doll

All this time I’ve been deluded into thinking Japan has been coming out with a steadily more shocking line of toys every year, but I was wrong. This 19th century doll showing the stages of pregnancy is on my list of the top 3 most disturbing toys ever. It’s only saving grace is the fact that this doll was originally made as a medical model. However, evidence suggests that it was later used for entertaining children.

This, however, raises more disturbing questions. Call me culturally ignorant, but who decided a pregnancy doll was a great thing to use as a child’s play thing? My money is on a doctor giving whatever he had on hand that wasn’t pointy to his children in order to make them shut up, and it happened to be this.

2. You Can Shave the Baby!

This toy has become a sort of myth on the internet and among Japanese toy enthusiasts. However, after doing some research, I found that this toy was originally designed by the Polish artist Zbigniew Libera. Even though this discovery was slightly disappointing, I still think “You Can Shave the Baby” qualifies as one of the disturbing toys ever in Japan.

As you can see, this baby doll comes with hair on all sorts of exciting regions of the body. And you know what the best part is? You can shave it! Unfortunately, it doesn’t grown back, but nothing beats the joy one gets from a good, clean shave. Am I right?

In all seriousness though, I wouldn’t touch this thing with a ten foot pole. Just look at its death glare (it must be unhappy from all that hair). And from the looks of things on the internet, I would say people tend to agree on this subject.

Warning: This video is PG-13

I sincerely hope I’m not the only one here who thinks there is something exceedingly unnerving about having your child shave an infant’s pelvic hair. This is psychopath-making material, right here.

1. Baby in the Microwave Toy

It both encourages me and horrifies me to know that, no matter how desensitized I think I am to ludicrous Japanese inventions, there is always something new to prove me wrong. The baby in the microwave toy is, sadly, exactly what it sounds like: the model of a small child who has been blown up in a microwave. I’m not sure if things could get any more deranged even if I tried.

Honestly, I would have loved to be there to see the sales pitch for this one. The man who pitched this must have been a genius (or a great comedian) to convince someone to market this “gem” of a toy.

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This is just a small sampling of the number of disturbing toys in the world. Unfortunately, there are many, many more both inside and outside of Japan. What is the creepiest toy you’ve ever seen or heard of? Let us know! Share your story with us in the comments section below!

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Bonus Wallpapers!

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Here’s my top ten list of pants-peeing creepy crawlies that will give you a scare if you weren’t expecting them. On that note, here’s to hoping that you don’t run into too many of them on any visit to Japan you might take.

10. Cicada セミ

“I am so kawaii.”

Even though they are commonly found in many regions of the world, cicadas are somewhat of an iconic symbol of Japanese wildlife. Their sounds are often played as background noise in Japanese movies and referred to in famous works of literature. Some people love ‘em, some people hate ‘em, but you can’t deny that they are kind of creepy. Before cicadas become obnoxious “tree crickets,” they live underground as nymphs (yes, I do mean mythological women). Once they hit puberty and start arguing with their parents, they burrow their way out of the ground and find a nearby place to molt where they leave their nasty exoskeletons for children to collect.

Groups of cicadas can produce sounds up to 120 decibels – that’s louder than an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Cicadas are harmless, but if they mistake you for a tree they could grip you with their spiky legs and beak in an attempt to eat from you or lay their eggs on you. Overall, these are pretty cool, but they can definitely be freaky, especially with the whole molting thing.

Bonus Tip: They also die in great numbers, too. And, when they die, they fall from the trees like sakura blossoms in spring. Suffice to say, dead giant insects falling on you is a momentary panic-inducing situation.

9. Stink Bug　クサギカメムシ

Kusagikamemushi… that’s a pretty big name for such a little stinker. Like fruit vampires, these bugs roam the land sucking the fluids from any vegetation they can find with their straw like appendage, called a proboscis. They usually don’t bother humans, but if you touch this little dude or intimidate him, you’ll end up covered in a nasty, cilantro-like odor. So, unless you want to walk home smelling like Mexican food (I know I do), I would avoid running into this bug.

8. Denki Mushi　イラガの幼虫

Awww isn’t it a cute little caterpie? That is, until you touch it. Run into one of these guys and you’ll be feeling like you stuck a paper clip into an electric socket. Although these bugs don’t really have electric powers (like real pokemon), the chemicals they release are said to feel remarkably like an electric shock. That’s why they’ve picked up the nickname “denkimushi” (electric bug) in Japanese. In short, these things are about as cuddly as a cactus. :D

7. Cockroach　ゴキブリ

Cockroaches. That’s all I really have to say, isn’t it? These things are disgusting even without knowing much about them. But if you really must know, cockroaches can carry 33 types of bacteria, six kinds of parasites, and seven pathogens (that we know of). They are said to be the only thing that can survive nuclear warfare other than Twinkies, which may not be true, but they are hard to get rid of. Cockroaches can go 45 minutes without breathing, live a month without food, and sustain themselves off the glue from a postage stamp. And the worst part is: they really will eat your children. Or, at least your child’s hair, toenails, eyelashes, and eyebrows.

6.  Japanese Mountain Leech　ヤマビル

Leeches. Never a good thing, except maybe for sucking satan out of demon-possessed 12 year olds. Most of the the time people run into nasty encounters with leeches in bodies of water, but these little suckers are perfectly comfortable on land. Mountain leeches have a seemingly harmless inchworm-like gait, but when they really mean business they can come after you by somersaulting at high speed. They even climb trees to drop down on unsuspecting victims and hide in your shoes (only slightly disconcerting). These leeches are equipped with a sucker on one end that helps them to get get around and size up their victims. On the other end, they have strong jaws lined with thousands of tiny teeth which they use to inject you with an anti-coagulant and numbing compound so they can unknowingly feed on your blood- oh, and chew through your clothing . Yikes.

Another type of leech that lives in Japan is the Giant carnivorous mountain leech. These leeches, also comfortable above the water, could easily be mistaken for snakes due to their large size and the way they slither across the ground at high speeds in search of prey. The good thing is, these leeches don’t suck blood like you might think. Instead, they use their huge jaws to swallow worms whole. How charming.

5. House Centipede ゲジゲジ

The gejigeji looks downright prehistoric. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I had been thrust into some horrible B-class syfy movie (THE LEGS). Luckily, however, the gejigeji is just a harmless little guy, unlike its evil cousin the Japanese Giant Centipede. All he wants is to be loved. That must be why he has so many long arms – to hug you with.

Gejigeji are actually good to keep around your house – if you can stand them that is. They eat all the other critters you don’t actually want around.

4. Giant Centipede　ムカデ

I don’t usually find centipedes scary (except maybe The Human Centipede), but this one deserves to be feared. A symbol of evil in Japanese mythology, the mukade can grow up to a length of 38 centimeters (that’s 15 inches!). It doesn’t just look scary, though, the mukade is poisonous too. If it gets its little chompers around you, you’ll be in a world of pain and probably have some pretty decent swelling. It usually won’t kill you, but get a bad enough bite and you’ll be straight to the doctor. So, I don’t recommend tempting one of these bad boys if you are trying to pull a Ferris Bueller. In Japanese lore, it is said that the mukade must be burned to get rid of it. So seriously, KILL IT WITH FIRE.

Fire? Why not just barbeque them up? That’ll get rid of them. Who wants some spicy mukade? Mmm mmm, crunchy.

3. Huntsman Spider

アシダカグモ

NOPE. Nope nope nope nope. That was my first reaction to this creepy crawly, if you can even call it that. I feel more inclined to call it SOMETHING FROM MY WORST NIGHTMARES. Pictures of this guy end up all over the internet, and for good reasons. It’s terrifying. More like a dark, hairy crab, the Huntsman Spider, or ashidakagumo, doesn’t spin webs to catch its prey. Instead, it uses its lightning-fast legs to chase down its food, beats it into the ground, then rips apart the its poor victim for its next meal. Oh, and did I mention they get up to a foot wide? I’m just sayin’, my cat wouldn’t even eat this. Check it out:

The only good thing about this spider is that its not poisonous to humans. Phew! Another thing I don’t have to worry about, except for the whole peeing my pants every time I see one thing.

2. Jorou Spider　ジョロウグモ

The Joro spider is a member of the golden silk orb-weaver genus. If you couldn’t tell by the crazy rainbow jacket this dude flaunts, the Joro Spider is poisonous. Getting bit by one is about the same as getting bit by a black widow – not deadly, but not a kiss from Shirley Temple. Just looking at the Joro gives me the heebie-jeebies. I mean, look at it’s butt! You’d think the “golden” part of its name comes from its golden body, but actually it refers to the spider’s golden web. It’s as dapper as it is horrifying. People have even attempted to make high-end clothing from the Joro’s golden thread. Looks like Rumpelstiltskin’s got a new employee!

These things are so creepy, they exist in Japanese folklore as evil seducers. Jorogumo (referenced to in my favorite game, Okami) are said to have the ability to transform into beautiful women and ensnare unsuspecting men who they then string up for their next meal.

So, what does this thing really eat, if it doesn’t eat your husband? How about birds? Yeah, that sounds good. That being said, I wouldn’t touch this thing with a 40 foot pole.

1. Japanese Giant Hornet

スズメバチ

Hide your kids. Hide your wife. Hide your husband, too, cause the suzumebachi’s in town and he’s not happy. Wasps aren’t generally considered to be pleasant company, but this thing is on a whole other level. In Japanese, the “Japanese Giant Hornet” is known as oosusumebachi, which literally means “giant sparrow bee,” and we might as well call these things sparrows ‘cause they are that freakin’ big. Not only are these things huge, but they will also spray you in the eyes with a flesh-melting poison if you catch them on a bad day. Great. Oh, and did I mention that this poison is filled with pheromones that signal the rest of the hive to hunt you down and sting the living crap out of you until you can no longer move your limbs? Dear lord, I seriously wish guns were legal in Japan just so I could defend myself against these things. Oh, did I mention that they can fly up to 50 miles a day? They will track. you. down.

Suzumebachi are so brutal that they’d do Metalocalypse proud. Not only are they a threat to humans, but they treat other insects worse than Rebecca Black after her release of Friday. “Oh, our babies need food? Let’s feed them other insects’ babies.” says the suzumebachi. But that’s still not metal enough. The suzumebachi often raid beehives to collect bee larva for their young. Sounds difficult? Not for the suzumebachi. It only takes one wasp to find a beehive, signal over a few friends, and then it’s party time. Thirty suzumebachi can rip apart thousands of bees like it’s a Sunday walk in the park.

Damn nature, you scary.

You’d think wasps like these would only live in the most desolate regions of the globe, far away from karaoke bars and bubble tea. But no, the suzumebachi lives around many places in Japan, even the outskirts of Tokyo, and they claim as many as 40 lives a year. This monster ain’t nothin’ to mess with.

Well, I may have wet my pants now, so let’s call this a wrap. Let me know which one of these gives you the most nightmares. If you are a masochist and find this stuff interesting like me, I recommend following the Real Japan Monsters YouTube channel – that dude be cray. In the meantime, I’m going to go seal all my doors and windows with duct tape. They can’t get through duct tape, can they? No, seriously, can they??

Sources:
The 5 Most Horrifying Bugs in the World
5 Disgusting Facts about Cockroaches
Real Japan Monsters

How It’s Made

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Making these abominations is actually quite simple. The model sits themselves down in a chair, has some coordinates projected onto their head, and then pictures are taken. These pictures are then processed by a computer and the model’s lovely mug is printed out in doll sized plaster by a 3D printer. From there, they airbrush on any fine details as needed.

I’m not sure how long the total process is, but the final result is pretty astounding. Now everyone can have their own little miniature version of themselves. For a price of course, but more on that later.

When ordering your doll, you get a choice of body. Some choices are creepier than others. The more out of proportion everything is, the weirder the doll ends up looking I think. I’ve heard of companies that make plushies in your likeness, but this is definitely next level right here.

Wait, They Cost How Much??

Yeah, these things aren’t cheap. They’re about $1,300. Now, why would someone want to spend so much money on a doll? Well, some people just have too much money. Other than that, these dolls have become popular with women who want to have creepy custom mementos of special events in their lives, such as a wedding.

Women can have their face, just as it looked on their wedding day with makeup and everything, plastered on a doll with their wedding hairstyle and their wedding dress and all. It’s almost like having a 3D picture to remember the event by. To some people, the $1,300 is worth it.

I don’t think I’d be willing to spend more than $100 for something like this, but then again I can’t really think of any reason other than novelty for wanting one myself.

Perhaps if there’s a strong demand for these sort of things, and 3D printing continues to become cheaper, these goofy dolls will fall in price as well. For now though, I think I’ll stick with regular action figures.

Oh yeah, they’ll also clone your pets too.

So tell me, how much would you spend for one of these custom dolls? Would you even want one? Do you think they’re as creepy as the rest of the internet does? Let us know in the comments!

Much like Aokigahara, Japan’s Haunted Forest of Death, Osorezan is a place steeped in Japanese lore and mysticism. Visitors wanting to experience a side of a Japan far removed from the nice and familiar temples and festivals will certainly not be disappointed by Osorezan and its unsettling landscape.

This is What Japanese Hell Looks Like

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Located at the northern tip of Aomori Prefecture, Osorezan is a place that has been venerated for its mystical power since ancient times. Lake Usori still bears the Usori name by which the area was known to the Ainu people many many years ago.

The area houses many different inviting sounding locales such as the Lake of Blood, half a dozen different hells, the Mountain of Swords, and the Dry Bed of the River of Souls. Even Osorezan itself is still an active volcano. Sure sounds like a nice place for a vacation, doesn’t it? But wait – there’s more!

Don’t drink the water.

The inescapable stench of sulfur is rampant in the area. The ground is grey, barren, and marked by openings that bubble with steam and hot water. The toxic waters of Lake Usori have killed off all aquatic life except for one hardy species of redfin. Signs everywhere warn of the danger of poisonous pit vipers in the area. Year-round the air is curiously silent, with no insect noise to speak of. The only noise to break the silence here is the call of black crows that eerily populate the area. Osorezan is a very creepy place indeed.

But despite its creepy factor, Osorezan has a healthy flow of tourism, and some parts of the area are actually quite pretty. Osorezan was discovered over 1000 years ago by a Buddhist priest in search of a sacred mountain that resembled the world of Buddha. Today it is the site of Bodaiji Temple. Bodaiji is the only temple in the area, and thus the main attraction. Bodaiji stems from a branch of Japanese Buddhism that has played a traditional role in helping the dead on their journey to the afterlife.

The Entrance to the Afterlife

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Because its geographical elements are similar to the descriptions of Buddhist hell, Osorezan is known as the entrance to the afterlife. On the way to Bodaiji Temple stands a small crimson bridge over a river that every dead person has to cross on their way to the afterlife.

Two demons are said to guard the river with the female demon stripping the clothes of the dead and the male demon weighing the clothes on tree branches to judge their karma. How weighing clothes determines your karma is a mystery to me, but I guess that’s just the way they do things at Osorezan.

Some parts of Osorezan, such as this bridge, are strikingly beautiful.

For the person who has led a virtuous life, crossing the bridge will be easy – you just walk right across it. If you’ve lived an average life you can cross at a shallow path across the river which isn’t too bad. But if you have led a life of evil, you must walk through the waters of the river which are filled with demons and poisonous the snakes mentioned above.

The majority of Japanese funerals are Buddhist ceremonies, and most adhere to this bridge crossing belief. For example, it’s believed that the departed make the crossing seven days after they die and a special ceremony is often held to pray for a successful crossing.

The Jizo Also Make an Appearance

Among the souls trying to cross the river are the souls of dead children and unborn babies. These little tykes build up piles of pebbles along the riverbed in an attempt to get to the other side. They are supported by Jizo (which Viet wrote about in an earlier post) who protect the souls from evil demons who constantly try to destroy the piles of pebbles because they are demons and that’s what they do.

Statues of Jizo and piles of stones are commonplace around Osorezan. The stones are offerings to Jizo by parents of dead children in the hope that the Jizo will use the stones to help their children gain access to the world beyond. Pinwheels are also a common sight as they are said to help with the children’s journey as well.

The Blind Shamans of Mount Osore

I’m sensing you have a dead relative named… Grandpa.

During Osorezan festivals, those seeking direct contact with the departed can do so through blind mediums known as itako. These mediums are all women, typically over 80 years of age, and rarely speak English. And I guess not all of them are totally blind because the woman in the above photo is wearing glasses, so she must have some sight left in her.

The itako chant and speak with the dead to deliver messages from the spirit world to their paying customers. While doing so, they hold their sacred black beads which often contain such odds and ends as old coins and parts from dead animals.

It’s not hard to tell that the itako all seem to be a bunch of hacks, though. The supposed spirits of the dead tend to say the same things to just about everyone, but the customers don’t seem to mind. Many such customers will queue for hours on end waiting for the itako. Afterwards they all seem quite satisfied with their “interaction” with lost love ones.

The Bodaiji Festival

Every year the Bodaiji Festival (July 22-24) attracts many visitors, and is a real cash cow for the itako. Getting to the area can be difficult due to a lack of public transportation, but Osorezan remains a popular destination and the temple even has overnight lodgings for guests.

There are many walking paths around the area, allowing visitors to stroll around the site and take in the scenery. Like I said before, some areas around Osorezan are gorgeous, so it’s nice for people to be able to walk around and experience them. Visitors should avoid the poisonous water of Lake Usori though, as it is poisonous. And remember, the whole place stinks to high hell of sulfur, so if you have a sensitive nose, be aware.

As a tourist destination, Osorezan is definitely a departure from the usual temples and shrines that Japan has to offer. Minus the rotten smell, it definitely seems like a cool place to visit. If I’m ever in the general area and have some time to kill, I’ll be sure to check it out in person.

So tell me, have any of you ever been to Osorezan before? What was it like? Think you’d ever go visit it, or would the stench be too much for you? And which area do you think is more spiritually charged – Osorezan or Aokigahari? Let us know in the comments!

Sites Referenced:
Japan Times
Japan Guide
Mount Osore Wikipedia

A common misconception about Japan is that it’s so densely populated that every single town is just like Tokyo; urban, people all crammed together, few empty spaces. Not only are there still tons of rural places in Japan, but there are even abandoned places, places that were simply left behind to rot. The Japanese call these places haikyo (廃墟).

Some of the creepiest of all haikyo in Japan are amusement parks. Places where poeople used to gather to have fun or go on vacation now sit vacant to rust and become overrun by nature. And while not all of Japan’s abandoned parks are as creepy as rusty ol’ clown car above, some of them come pretty damn close.

Why do so many amusement parks fail? It seems kind of strange that so many amusement parks would simply just close shop.

There are a bunch of different reasons why amusement parks go out of business:

• Bigger Parks: Places like Universal Studios and Disneyland have put a lot of smaller parks out of business. Why would you go to some no-name amusement park when you can go see freakin’ Mickey Mouse?!
• Failing Banks: Lots of smaller parks were financed by banks that gave bad loans, or failed for other reasons. With those banks gone, the amusement parks couldn’t afford to stay open.
• Other Asian Parks: Lots of new amusement parks are opening up all across Asia too, which has brought attention and attendance away from Japanese amusement parks. Countries like China and South Korea are experiencing a kind of amusement park boom, while Japan’s amusement parks have kind of peaked.

Lots of these failed amusement parks have been either abandoned or torn down completely. Lots of people have taken it upon themselves to explore these abandoned parks and provide us all with nightmare fuel. Let’s take a look at some of the creepiest abandoned amusement parks in Japan.

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Takakanonuma Greenland

The closest you'll get to Silent Hill without putting a pyramid on your head.

Takakanonuma Greenland was an amusement park that opened up in the mid-70s and quickly closed down. In 1986, the park tried to open back up again after being closed down for about 10 years, but quickly failed again. Since its final closure, the park and its huge roller coasters have become overgrown by local plants and nearly completely rusted over. Still, that hasn’t stopped intrepid explorers from climbing all over these rabies hazards.

And for some reason, nearly every picture I’ve found of Takakanonuma Greenland has been in a dense fog. While some might attribute this to the local climate or the time of year these pictures were taken, I’d like to say that there’s so much fog because this place is creepy as hell.

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Nara Dreamland

Nara Dreamland it its glory days

It’s hard to imagine now, but when Disneyland first opened up back in 1955 it was a pretty big deal. There weren’t really many other amusement parks that were as big or that paid such attention to detail.

Some people visited Disneyland to try to capture all the magic. Some people built their own.

Nara Dreamland, which was built in 1961, was in a lot of ways a straight-up copy of the original Disneyland, complete with jungle cruise, monorail, and main street. If you compare maps of the two, they’re pretty much identical.

What Nara Dreamland looks like today

In 1983, Tokyo Disneyland finally opened. After Disney had an official presence in Japan, Nara Dreamland began its long and slow decline. The killing blow came when Universal Studios opened up its own park in nearby Osaka in 2001. Nara Dreamland closed down shortly thereafter in 2006.

How about an enchanting jungle cruise?

The park itself is still standing and largely untouched, so there are lots of unofficial visitors exploring and photographing the park.

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Gulliver’s Kingdom

"Just getting my eyes brushed in the shadow of Mount Fuji. No big deal."

Gulliver’s Kingdom was an amusement park based off the classic British book “Gulliver’s Travels,” which follows a British sailor who travels around the world finding strange and interesting civilizations. You might recognize the book’s most famous scene where the main character, Gulliver, is tied to the ground by an army of tiny people.

Unfortunately, Gulliver’s Kingdom had its own set of unique problems. The park didn’t have the best neighbors ever. Not only was it right by Japan’s infamous “suicide forest,” and was close to Kamikuishiki, a town that was home to the Aum Shinrikyo cult that launched a terrorist attack on Japan in 1995.

Needless to say, the area wasn’t a huge tourist attraction. People probably even avoided being in the area.

The park opened in 1998. Very few people came to visit, so the park was forced to close in 2001. The thing is, the park wasn’t demolished until 2007, which meant that for six whole years it became overgrown, decayed, and vandalized until it had reached a nice, ripe state of creepiness.

For a less terrifying Gulliver’s Travels experience, you can always watch the God-awful Jack Black movie (or, y’know, read the book).

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Koga Family Land

Koga Family Land (also sometimes unfortunately known as Koga Family Rand) was yet another small, independent amusement park that failed in the mid-90s. It stood abandoned for nearly 20 years before finally being torn down in 2008.

No creepy place is complete without kids' drawings.

Up until the park was torn down, many different buildings and rides remained, including a restaurant, a cart ride, and a Ferris wheel that made terrifying noises when the wind blew.

Check out this video from Florian from Abandoned Kansai to get a good idea about how empty this place is:

You guys got "phoenix" right but not "land?" C'mon!

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If you want to read up more on haikyo, check out these awesome sites:

• Michael John Grist
• Abandoned Kansai
• Gakuranman
• This Japanese explorer (site in Japanese).

P.S.: Don’t wanna have abandoned theme park nightmares? Better follow us on Twitter.
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