27th April – 卯月
Every month on 27th, I write Japanese 怪談 (Kaidan) stories. This time is about scary game that mainly Japanese school kids did (does?). Maybe it is better not to do those games, otherwise you might get cursed!?
こっくりさん
It was boomed in 1970’s at schools, the game is to bring the ghost called こっくりさん (Kokkuri-san), one types of necromancy. Group of students conducted this ritual and brought Kokkuri san to the classrooms.
Preparation:
-white paper
-pencil
-10 yen (Around US 10 cent)
1. Write はい (Yes) /いいえ (No) and between those draw Torii gate in the middle of the paper.
2. On the bottom of the paper, write all Hiragana and numbers (0~9).
3. Place the 10 yen on the top of Torii gate and say ‘こっくりさん こっくりさん どうぞおいでください’ (Kokkuri san *2 Douzo Oidekudasai)= Please come down Kokkuri san
4. If the 10 yen move to はい (Yes), means Kokkuri san come down there.
5. Then ask what you want to know. 10 Yen might move to the Hiragana / Numbers to answer the questions.
6. After each questions, say ‘鳥居の位置までおもどりください’ (Torii no ichi made Omodori kudasai)= Please go back to the Torii place
7. When you want to finish the necromancy, say ‘こっくりさん こっくりさん どうぞお戻りください’ (Kokkuri san *2 Douzo Omodorikudasai)=Please go back Kokkuri san
8. If the 10 yen move to はい (Yes), means Kokkuri san accept to go back. So the necromancy finishes.
There is a very important rule during this ritual – you cannot take your finger off from the 10 yen throughout the necromancy. If taking off from it, Kokkuri san will curse you…
Actually some schools used to ban this game as it impacted many students – some actually suffer from cursing, some killed themselves, some got in trouble etc. Spooky!
ひとりかくれんぼ
Different to the game done in school, ひとりかくれんぼ (Hitori Kakurenbo) is done at home by oneself.
Preparation:
-Stuffed animal with legs and arms
-rice
-own cut fingernail
-knife
-sewing kit with red strings
-salt water
1.Name the stuffed animal and cut its belly part. Take the inside out and fill the rice and own nails in, then sew the part with red strings.
2. Locate the salt water in the place where you will hide.
3. At 3 am, start the ritual. Take the stuffed animal to the bathroom and soak the stuffed animal in the bath water. Then tell the stuffed animal 3 times ‘鬼は私'(Oni ha Watashi)=I am the one to find
4. Turn off all the lights except TV.
5. Close the eyes and count 10 seconds. Then hold the knife and go back to the bathroom and say ‘見つけた’ (Mitsuketa)＝I found you. And stub the stuffed animal.
6. Tell the stuffed animal ‘つぎはあなたの番’ (Tsugi ha Anata no Ban)=Next is your turn. and go back to where the salt water was placed.
7. While hiding in the place, you will see the various psychic phenomenons, according to the rumors.
8. When you want to finish the ritual, you contain the salted water in your mouth and bring the remaining water to the stuffed animals and pour it (also the water in your mouth too).
9. Then declare ‘私の勝ち’ (Watashi no Kachi)= I won.
It is said that you have to finish within 1~2 hour. Also you have to find the stuffed animals which could move around while hiding in order to finish the game. This might be very hard to finish the game… If you cannot finish the game by 1~2 hours, you will be cursed, as always. mmm goosebumps!
Little Japan Dictionary 