Hachishakusama: The Chilling Tale of Japan’s 8-Foot Tall Woman
When travelers think of Japanese folklore, minds often wander to the ancient yōkai depicted in woodblock prints or the whimsical spirits found in Studio Ghibli films. However, beneath the neon lights of Tokyo and the quiet rustle of rural rice fields lies a darker, more modern layer of storytelling. Among the most terrifying of these contemporary legends is Hachishakusama, or the “Eight-Feet Tall Woman.”
Unlike the ancient spirits recorded in historical scrolls, Hachishakusama is a product of the digital age, yet she strikes a chord of primal fear that feels centuries old. For those fascinated by the spooky side of Japanese culture, understanding this towering figure is essential.
Origins: The Birth of a Netlore Icon
While Japan has a rich history of ghost stories (kaidan) dating back nearly a millennium, Hachishakusama is a prime example of “Netlore”—folklore generated and spread via the internet. She first appeared in 2008 on 2channel, Japan’s largest anonymous bulletin board, which has served as the breeding ground for many modern urban legends.
The original poster claimed to recount a terrifying childhood experience while visiting their grandparents in a rural Japanese village. The story’s detailed narrative and the specific, unsettling auditory hallucinations described captivated readers immediately. Much like the Western legend of Slender Man, Hachishakusama evolved from a single creepy post into a nationwide phenomenon, bridging the gap between digital fiction and genuine superstition.
The Legend: “Po… Po… Po…”
The core of the Hachishakusama legend revolves around a specific, unnerving sound. According to the story, the entity announces her presence not with a scream, but with a deep, masculine voice repeating, “Po… po… po…”
The Encounter
In the original tale, a young boy playing in his grandparents’ garden hears this strange sound. Looking up, he sees a woman who is impossibly tall—approximately eight feet (hachishaku)—peering over a tall hedge. She typically wears a long white dress and a wide-brimmed hat, which obscures her face.
The Curse
The horror truly begins when the boy tells his grandparents. Their reaction is not skepticism, but sheer terror. They reveal that the entity is a local guardian-turned-malevolent spirit who captivates children and spirits them away, never to be seen again. The legend introduces classic Japanese exorcism elements: the boy is locked in a room sealed with salt (a purifying agent in Shintoism) and given a Buddha statue for protection. Hachishakusama spends the night tapping on the window and mimicking the voices of the boy’s loved ones to trick him into opening the door.
The Escape
The story concludes with a high-stakes escape. The boy is surrounded by male relatives who shield him from the spirit’s view as they drive him out of the village. As they speed away, he sees her running alongside the car, maintaining her terrifying height and speed. The chilling coda? The boy can never return to his ancestral home, or she will find him.
Hachishakusama in Modern Pop Culture
Since her debut on 2channel, Hachishakusama has permeated Japanese pop culture. She has transitioned from a scary text post to a visual icon in anime, manga, and video games.
Perhaps the most famous Western parallel is Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village. While Capcom has cited various influences, fans immediately drew comparisons between the vampire matriarch and the Japanese urban legend due to their imposing height, wide-brimmed hats, and white dresses. In Japan, Hachishakusama appears frequently in horror anthologies and has even been the subject of “waifu” culture, where the terror of her height is reinterpreted through a lens of fascination and allure, showcasing the complex relationship otaku culture has with the macabre.
A Traveler’s Guide to Japanese Urban Legends
For the culturally curious traveler, the story of Hachishakusama offers a unique way to engage with rural Japan. While you likely won’t encounter an 8-foot ghost, the atmosphere of the story is palpable in many countryside villages.
Tips for the “Dark Tourist”
- Visit During Obon: If you are interested in the supernatural, visit Japan in mid-August during Obon, the festival of the dead. It is the time when the veil between worlds is thinnest, and ghost stories are traditionally told to “cool the blood” in the summer heat.
- Respect the Jizo: In the story, Jizo statues (guardians of children) play a protective role. You will see these stone figures with red bibs along roadsides. Treat them with respect, as they are central to local spiritual protection.
- Explore Rural Japan: To understand the isolation felt in the Hachishakusama story, visit regions like Tono in Iwate Prefecture, known as the city of folklore. The landscape itself explains why such stories exist.
Sources & Further Reading
To dive deeper into the context of Japanese spirits and the evolution from ancient mythology to modern horror, the following texts and archives are recommended:
- 2channel Archives (2008): The original thread titled “The Eight-Feet Tall Woman” serves as the primary source for this specific legend.
- The Legends of Tono (Tono Monogatari) by Kunio Yanagita: A pivotal collection of folk tales that establishes the rural atmosphere found in the Hachishakusama story.
- Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters): While Hachishakusama is modern, the concepts of malevolent spirits and purification (salt) are rooted in Japan’s oldest historical record, the Kojiki (c. 711-712 AD), which details the origins of Shinto gods and the supernatural world.
Whether you view her as a digital fabrication or a modern manifestation of ancient fears, Hachishakusama stands tall as a testament to Japan’s enduring love for the mysterious.