Interesting Urban Legends in Japan

There are legends that exist all over the world, such as the Balmuda Triangle. They also exist in Japan, and some of them make us laugh. Here are three of the most interesting legends out there! It’s up to you whether you believe them to be true or false!

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Transforms into a “Giant Robot”

It is an urban legend that every Tokyo resident has heard at least once. The legend says that in the event of an emergency or an invasion from outer space, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will transform into a giant robot to fight. The governor of the city is in charge of controlling the robot, and when a new governor is elected, he or she takes over the control of the robot. The range of the punches is said to be 40 kilometers.

A huge amount of treasure is buried in Mount Akagi in Gunma Prefecture

There is a theory that when the Shogunate surrendered Edo Castle to the new government, Oguri Tadamasa, who was in charge of accounting, secretly buried a huge amount of treasure in his hometown, Akagi. The treasure is said to be worth about 200 trillion yen (1.9 trillion dollars) in current prices, and although various excavations have been conducted, it has yet to be found.

Kussie, the Plesiosaur ​of Lake Kussharo

A giant unidentified creature (UMA) has been reported to have been seen at Lake Kussharo. It is said to be a survivor of a plesiosaur, and was named after “Nessie” who lives in Loch Ness in England. However, it was last seen in 1997, and has not been seen since.

The treasure of the great pirate “Captain Kid” is on the sacred Oogami Island

Located just north of Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Oogami Island is a small island with a population of only a few dozen people, and is a mysterious place with several sanctuaries that are off-limits to anyone without permission. When it was reported that the treasure of Captain Kid, a great pirate of the 17th century, might be lying in a cave on the island, many treasure hunters came to the island.