Discover the chilling legends of Japan's "cursed" Inunaki Village—home to terrifying ghost stories, grisly crimes, and a tunnel that inspired movies and games! Dare to enter the mystery with us and find out what’s real and what’s myth. Hit subscribe for more spooky tales and drop a comment below telling us which part creeped you out most! #Japan #UrbanLegends #Horror #Mystery #TrueCrime
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv
0:00 - Introduction to Cursed Inunaki Village
0:30 - Legends and Superstitions of Inunaki
1:54 - Origins and Mysterious Traits
3:02 - Origins of the Name and Historical Facts
4:37 - Crime, Tunnel, and True Events
9:14 - Internet Legends and Theories
16:25 - Modern Times and Investigation
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv
0:00 - Introduction to Cursed Inunaki Village
0:30 - Legends and Superstitions of Inunaki
1:54 - Origins and Mysterious Traits
3:02 - Origins of the Name and Historical Facts
4:37 - Crime, Tunnel, and True Events
9:14 - Internet Legends and Theories
16:25 - Modern Times and Investigation
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Did you know that there is an old village in Japan that recently became famous because of its
00:04reputation as a supposedly cursed place? There are many terrifying stories circulating about this
00:11place, including the story of a man who was burned alive by carjackers. So it's no wonder why this
00:18place has gained such a dark reputation. But before we begin, if you're new to our channel,
00:24make sure to subscribe so you'll always be updated with videos like this.
00:30The Inunaki Tunnel, Inunaki Village, and the Inunaki Region, located in the Inunaki area of
00:38Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan, are considered some of the scariest and most feared places in the entire
00:44country. Many real cases of murder, chilling stories, legends, and dark parts of history are
00:51associated with this place. According to stories, screams and howls can supposedly be heard at
00:57different times of the night throughout the small region. But the scariest belief is that this
01:02place is said to be beyond the reach of Japanese law. It is said that during the Edo period, Inunaki
01:08village was completely closed off and separated from the rest of the country. According to legend,
01:14it was the government itself that decided not to interfere with its administration.
01:18There are many explanations given as to why. Some say there are cults that worship demons,
01:24rituals involving blood offerings, cannibalism, the use of black magic, and other terrifying
01:30practices. According to the story, after 30 people were allegedly killed in one of these rituals,
01:36the village was completely closed off from the outside world. Since then, all the roads leading to the
01:42village were reportedly cut off. There was even reportedly a sign posted at the entrance saying that
01:47the area beyond this point was no longer under the jurisdiction of Japan's constitution,
01:51as a warning to anyone who dared to enter. According to legend, Inunaki village began in
01:57the early part of the Edo period. It is said that the farmers who were persecuted and oppressed at that
02:03time chose to exile themselves there and completely cut off their ties with society. Some say that even now
02:10there are still people living in the village. But because of hundreds of years of rituals and repeated
02:15marriages among relatives, their appearance and way of life have changed. If you dare to look for this
02:22place, it is said to be full of traps. According to the stories, the crazed residents will chase you and
02:29kill you using axes and sickles. Aside from that, there's no phone signal in the area, so you won't be
02:36able to call anyone for help. And since it's said that the government has no jurisdiction over it, the police
02:41supposedly can't do anything either. That's why there's a belief that no one who has found the
02:46real Inunaki village has ever come back alive. The name Inunaki can be translated as Howling Dog.
02:53It's believed to have come from an old village legend. Even today, some dog statues can still be
02:59seen among the ruins of Inunaki as a reminder of its history. According to the legend, there was a man
03:04who had a dog that wouldn't stop barking. One day, out of extreme annoyance, he killed his own pet.
03:11Not long after, the man and his entire family were also killed. It was only then, or so the story
03:16goes,
03:17that he realized his dog had only been trying to warn him about the people coming to kill them.
03:23Although there are many legends surrounding it, there is a real Inunaki village recorded in history.
03:29According to official records, it existed from 1691 to 1889. At its peak, the village was known for making
03:36ceramics and iron. Later on, it developed even more because of coal mining. In the late 1800s,
03:43a castle called Inunaki Gobekun was built. And even today, some of its ruins can still be seen. Eventually,
03:51Inunaki was merged with the nearby village of Yoshikawa. And over time, it was combined with other
03:58villages until the present-day city of Miyakawa was formed, which is considered the modern successor
04:04of the former Inunaki village. The original location of the old village was completely lost when a dam was
04:11built in the area. Because of this, the entire community was submerged in water, and almost no
04:16traces were left. The former residents are said to have moved to the nearby area of Wakita. However,
04:23many believe that this is not the real Inunaki village. For them, the official history is just
04:29a cover-up of what really happened. There are also some who believe that the dam was deliberately built
04:34to bury the village's true secret for good. Most of the ghosts and scary stories about Inunaki don't
04:41actually happen in the old village itself, but in an old tunnel leading to it. The current tunnel was
04:47built in 1975 and is still in use today. But the old tunnel has long been abandoned. Because of its
04:55popularity, it even inspired the horror movie Howling Village in 2019, where the old tunnel is
05:02the main setting. In the same year, the horror game Inunaki Tunnel was also released. But the tunnel's
05:08scary reputation is not just because of legends. There are also real incidents that have been recorded
05:13here. One of the most famous is the gruesome murder case on December 7, 1988. On that day,
05:21a 20-year-old man named Umayama Koichi was waiting at a stoplight near Inunaki while on his way home
05:28from work. He was approached by a group of young men who said, We need your car to pick up
05:35some girls,
05:36so stop being stubborn and get out. Naturally, Umayama refused to give up his car. Because of this,
05:43the group attacked him, took the car, and forcibly took him along. He was taken to a remote place
05:49where he was assaulted again. Despite his severe injuries, Umayama managed to escape and ran toward
05:55the road. He tried to get help from passing drivers, but no one stopped to help him. Soon after, the
06:02group
06:02found him again and captured him once more. They took him to Condeport and tried to throw him into the
06:07sea,
06:09but he held tightly to the fence so they couldn't push him into the water. While all this was
06:13happening, one of the men seemed to feel guilty and said they should stop what they were doing.
06:18But the leader of the group objected and insisted, This man will die. After that,
06:25they stuffed Umayama into the cramped compartment at the back of his own car. They repeatedly hurt him
06:31using wrenches, a crank, and whatever tools they could find. At first, they planned to dump his body
06:37in Rikimaru Dam, but they were afraid it might float and be found. So they decided to burn him
06:43so his body wouldn't be identified. They stopped at a gas station and filled plastic bottles with
06:49gasoline. They told the gas station staff that their motorcycle had broken down. After that,
06:55they brought Umayama to the old Inunaki tunnel. They poured gasoline on his head. When Umayama
07:01realized what was about to happen, he screamed in terror. The perpetrators were momentarily stunned,
07:07and he took the opportunity to try to escape again. This time, he ran into the forest.
07:13The men shouted, We won't hurt you! We're not lying! Come out now!
07:17For some unclear reason, Umayama believed them, and he came out from his hiding place,
07:22and there they caught him for the third and final time. They stuffed his mouth with cloth,
07:27tied his hands and feet, and repeatedly struck him with large stones. Even after the severe injuries,
07:34he still wasn't dead and kept begging for his life. Because of this, they poured the remaining
07:40gasoline on his body and burned him alive. As the flames consumed him, he continued to suffer and cry for
07:47help. But no one came to his rescue. Despite his severe injuries, he managed to stand up and stagger
07:53toward the entrance of the tunnel. But when he got there, he collapsed and died. After the group
07:59made sure he was dead, they left the area and returned to Fukuoka City. When they got there,
08:05they even went to a bar and bragged to others about what they had done. According to one of them,
08:10we killed someone, we even burned him. Umayama's body was found around noon the next day. Because of
08:17the severity of the burns on his body, it was difficult to determine the exact cause of his death.
08:23However, according to the investigation, he died due to severe blood loss from injuries to his head
08:29before the other injuries could become the direct cause of death. Because they openly spread news of
08:35their crime in various places, it didn't take long before the perpetrators were identified,
08:40caught, and arrested. On March 8, 1991, during the trial at the Fukuoka Court, the main accused,
08:47who was only 19 years old when the crime happened, was sentenced to life imprisonment. In court, he said,
08:54I didn't really intend to kill her. This sentence is too harsh. He requested that his sentence be
09:00reduced, but the judge firmly denied it. According to the judge, the cruelty shown in this case is
09:06rarely seen even in similar crimes. The accused was the mastermind behind the act, so his responsibility
09:12is grave. Meanwhile, modern legends about the real Inunaki village began to spread on the internet in
09:181999. Since then, the old Inunaki tunnel and the ruins of the former village have become popular
09:25destinations for ghost hunters and urban legend enthusiasts. On various internet forums, many
09:33people have shared what they know about the place. In November 1999, a netizen wrote,
09:39Someone told me that this village is a specially protected area where the police or the government
09:45cannot interfere. Even though this is a well-known place, the television signal reportedly disappears when
09:50you reach the mountain. According to one theory, the village experienced severe discrimination
09:54even before the time of the netizen. Eventually, they cut off all contact with the outside and
10:01governed their own community. There are also rumors that dangerous people live there, but there is no
10:07solid evidence. On November 6, another comment said, When I was in college, I went to Inunaki Pass.
10:14There are both new and old tunnels there. There were no lights inside, and I can't explain why I
10:20suddenly felt intense anxiety and dizziness. On November 8, someone else wrote, Inunaki village
10:26really used to be in that area, but it sank after the dam was built. When I asked my friend
10:32about Inunaki
10:32village, he said, The one that sank? It was submerged when the dam was built. On November 9, another story
10:40came out that I heard there was one that wasn't on any map. They say you can find it if
10:46you discover a
10:46narrow road leading to a bridge. And on November 12, a netizen mentioned a similar legend. They say
10:53there's a place near Mount Haruna in Gunma Prefecture that inspired a manga about street racers. They say
11:00that if you enter that place, you'll get into an accident and lose your life. According to the story,
11:05there's a satanic cult that owns a large part of the land there, and it's said to be filled with
11:10corpses.
11:10On November 13, a netizen even wrote that there's a religious groups facility in the area that's
11:16operated by a well-known organization. Criminal organizations also often come and go in that
11:22place. Not long after, an anonymous person sent a letter to a TV station called NTV. The title of
11:30the letter was, The Village in Japan That Is Not Part of Japan. The writer explained that although he
11:36doesn't believe in ghosts, the place called Inunaki Ridge is very well known because of the paranormal
11:42stories there. According to him, there is a narrow path in the forest near the old Inunaki tunnel.
11:49He said it's very easy to miss. As you follow the path, it gets narrower and narrower until you reach
11:55a
11:55sign with something written on it. The area beyond this point is no longer under the jurisdiction of
12:00Japan's constitution. After that, he shared a scary story. In the early 1970s, there was a young
12:07couple traveling in the mountains near Inunaki Ridge. They were coming from Hisayama and heading
12:13to Miyakawa. Because there were only a few roads back then, they were forced to take a narrow road
12:19going up the mountain. But before they could reach the old Inunaki tunnel, their vehicle suddenly broke
12:25down. Since it was a time when there were no cell phones yet, they had no way to ask for
12:30help right
12:30away. They noticed a small path leading into the forest near the tunnel, so they left their vehicle
12:35and walked, hoping to find a place to stay or someone to ask for help. After a while, they reached
12:42a
12:42sign that said the area ahead was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Japanese constitution.
12:47They thought it was just a joke, so they continued on.
12:51They had walked less than a kilometer when they noticed some old houses. They were dark, almost
12:56destroyed, and seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. They felt even more uneasy because they
13:02couldn't hear any sound at all. No people, no animals, not even the sound of the wind could be heard.
13:07The only sign of modern times was a white vehicle that had been left abandoned for a long time and
13:13was
13:13slowly rusting. They remembered the news about a couple who disappeared almost a year ago while riding a
13:20similar vehicle. As they walked along the main road of the village in almost complete darkness,
13:26they decided to just go back to their car and look for another way to get help. But at that
13:32very moment,
13:33a man suddenly appeared from the balcony of a large gray building. He approached the couple and said with
13:39a smile, we're happy to have visitors here, but we don't want them to leave. In an instant, he allegedly
13:46struck the young man with a scythe, injuring him from the neck down to the stomach. The man immediately
13:51fell to the ground before he could even understand what had happened. The woman tried to run back to
13:56their vehicle, but the man caught up with her. He easily lifted her with one hand and threw her in
14:02the middle of the road, causing her to break several ribs. Despite her severe injuries, she forced
14:07herself to run toward the nearest house. There, she saw something they hadn't noticed earlier. Many
14:13bodies were sprawled in the darkness between the buildings. She didn't survive either. According to
14:19the story, she was also thrown to the ground beside the white vehicle. After that account, the letter went
14:25on to describe the supposedly deranged residents of the village and urged journalists to immediately go
14:31and investigate the area. Many believe that this is where the modern legend of Inunaki village began.
14:38Even though it has been around for a long time, it was already a well-known destination for ghost
14:42hunters before that letter spread. Over time, various theories have emerged about the true history of the
14:47village. These include the following. First, it is said that a contagious disease spread throughout the village,
14:54so the government completely closed it off to prevent the epidemic from spreading further.
14:59Because of this, it is said that all the residents were left there until they perished.
15:04Second, some say it was a colony of lepers. Because of fear and discrimination in society back then,
15:11they were completely separated from other communities. Third, according to another legend,
15:17the long isolation of the residents from the outside world supposedly led to repeated marriages among
15:24relatives, which eventually caused the decline of their mental health and the loss of
15:29normal behavior and morality. Fourth, there is a story that says a resident of the village, believed to
15:34be the man holding a sickle in the legend, killed everyone in the place in just one night, and he
15:41was the
15:41only one left alive. And fifth, there is a belief that a cult supposedly took over the entire village.
15:48This is said to be where the rituals of cannibalism began, and any outsider who happened to wander into
15:54the place never came out alive again. There is another legend that is closely related to the
15:58construction of the Inunaki dam, which caused the old location of the village to be submerged.
16:04According to the story, when the residents refused to evacuate, the energy companies did not force them
16:09anymore. Instead, they were allegedly locked inside their homes, and then the entire area was submerged in
16:15water to erase them from history completely. There is no evidence to prove that this happened,
16:20but it remains one of the most popular urban legends about Inunaki. At present, the old Inunaki
16:27tunnel has been completely closed to the public. Its entrance has been blocked with a large concrete
16:32block, and there is also a big gate to prevent vehicles from entering. However, there are still
16:38some explorers and urban adventurers who claim that they are able to enter the area by climbing up the
16:44side of the mountain and squeezing in through the upper part of the tunnel. According to residents
16:49living near the area, even more people started visiting Inunaki tunnel after the movie Howling Village
16:54was released. Even before the movie came out, the place was already being visited by curious people
17:00and ghost hunters. But by 2020, despite the lockdowns, it became even more popular. Because of this,
17:07the area around the tunnel became filled with trash left by visitors, graffiti on the walls, and various
17:14items left behind by people who drank and partied in the place. It's amusing to think about, but according
17:20to the locals, they are no longer afraid of ghosts. What they fear are the groups of troublemakers who
17:26always go there. A resident told a local newspaper that every day there are young people hanging out in
17:32the forest near the tunnel. They drink there, leave trash everywhere, and cause trouble. Honestly, we ourselves
17:40are afraid to go up there. According to the report, since Howling Village was released, the police have
17:45had to respond there more than 182 times. Before that, there were almost no reported incidents in the
17:52past several months. Because of this, the residents are hoping that the popularity of the place will
17:57gradually fade so that peace will return to their community. In February 2020, the Fukuoka Broadcasting
18:05Corporation, together with the Miyakawa City Council, also conducted their own investigation.
18:11While they were inspecting the old tunnel, they said they heard strange sounds coming from inside.
18:16They also noticed that the temperature dropped from 12 degrees Celsius to 9 degrees Celsius
18:22as they approached the entrance of the tunnel. However, they explained that it's normal for the air
18:28inside a tunnel to be colder than outside. In the end, they did not find any evidence proving
18:33any paranormal occurrence. At present, entering the old Inunaki tunnel is strictly prohibited.
18:39There are steel gates, sturdy barriers, fences, surveillance cameras, and the police regularly
18:46patrol the area. Because of this, it is now much harder to enter the old tunnel. Perhaps this is also
18:51for the best, not only for the welfare of the residents, but also for the safety of anyone planning to
18:57go there.
19:11Because of this, it can be reduced to the
Comments