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Are you afraid of ghosts?

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Are you afraid of ghosts?

Beware – the month for Yurei (Japanese spirits or ghosts), yokai (supernatural monsters) and oni (demons) has arrived. While October in the West is associated with the spookiest time of year, here in Japan it is August. Obon is the time of year where the Japanese honor their ancestors who are said to return to visit household shrines, and with Obon upon us, now is the time it is thought that the supernatural come out to play.

Japan has a long history of things that go bump in the night, and the Japanese have an equally long love for telling these tales to give each other hair-raising goosebumps. Hyakumongatari (one hundred stories – see page 14) is a daring game designed to conjure spirits similar to the Western idea of saying “Bloody Mary” in the mirror multiple times. These days many gather for a more modern fix of J-horror, films often featuring a modern take on onryō (a vengeful spirit) with the now infamous long, black, hair-over-the-face look of Sadako from the movie Ringu (“The Ring”). What better time to give yourself an all-natural chill down the spine to take your mind off the heat? We’ve got the lingo you need to get you started, unless you’re okubyou mono (chicken)!

Do you know any good ghost stories? なにか いい ゆうれいの はなしを しってま すか? Nanika ii yurei no hanashi o shittemasuka?
I feel like being scared! こわい おもいを したい きぶんです。 Kowai omoi o shitai kibun desu.
Have you ever seen a ghost? ゆうれいを みたことが ありますか? Yurei o mitakotoga arimasuka?
Do you think ghosts exist? ゆうれいが いると おもいますか? Yurei ga iru to omoimasuka?
I don’t think about it much. あまり かんがえません。 Amari kangaemasen.
I don’t believe in ghosts. ゆうれいを しんじていません。 Yurei o shinjiteimasen.
Let’s have a test of courage. きも だめし しましょう。 Kimo dameshi shimashō.
Messing with spirits is a bad idea. れいのことで ふざけるのは よくないです。 Reinokotode fuzakerunowa yokunai desu.
This is a haunted place. ここは しんれい スポットです。 Koko wa shinrei spotto desu.
Did you hear that? きこえましたか? Kikoemashitaka?
There’s nothing there! なにも いません! Nanimo imasen!
Are you afraid of ghosts? ゆうれいが こわい ですか? Yurei ga kowai desuka?
I think I just saw something… なにか みたと おもったんだけど。。。 Nanika mitato omottandakedo…
What was that? それは なんですか? Sore wa nan desuka?
This video is fake. この ビデオは やらせ です。 Kono bideo wa yarase desu.
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