∧∧∧ Scary Stories About Mountains – Part 3 ∧∧∧
692: Anonymous (2003/11/19 13:18)
This happened back when I used to work in the mountains.
One day, after finishing my job, I was walking down the work trail when I heard a strange voice from above.
It sounded something like “Hoo” or “Whoah”.
People sometimes make those kinds of loud, carrying calls in the mountains to signal to others,
so I thought, “Maybe someone’s still up there,” and looked up.
On the ridge, I saw a small human figure.
Because of the backlight, I could only see the silhouette,
but it looked like the person was staring straight at me.
I called back with a sound like “Ooooh!”
but the figure didn’t move at all.
Then, suddenly, it started waving its hand and jumping up and down.
I couldn’t make any sense of it,
and since I was tired anyway, I just shouted,
“I’m heading down now!”
and kept walking toward the forest road.
Down below, an older coworker who had gone ahead asked,
“Did you see someone up there?”
When I told him what I’d seen,
he frowned slightly and said,
“Might’ve been a kodama.”
I asked,
“What’s that supposed to be?”
He replied,
“A spirit that takes on human form and causes trouble.
Back in the old days, people used to say,
‘If you see a kodama, go straight home and don’t step outside again that day.’
And if you hear someone calling your name at night,
or knocking at your door,
you must never answer.
Never.’”
Then, after a pause, he added quietly,
“Just in case, don’t go out tonight.”
At the time, I used to stop by a bar near the train station almost every night after work,
but that evening, his words stuck with me,
so I stayed home quietly instead.
Nothing happened—
no one called my name,
no knocks on the door.
But still,
I haven’t forgotten that voice on the ridge.
Kodama (木霊) — In Japanese folklore, a mountain or forest spirit that lives within trees or echoes voices. The word also literally means “echo.” While usually benign, regional legends describe kodama that take human form and lure travelers off mountain paths.
Work trail (作業道) — A narrow path made for forestry or construction work, often remote and unlit.
The belief “Don’t answer when called at night” — Common in rural Japanese folklore; it’s said that answering a supernatural call allows spirits to take your soul or invite misfortune into the home.
693: Anonymous (2003/11/19 13:19)
The next morning, when I went back to the mountain trail to continue our work,
the old man was already there before me.
Usually, he would’ve already gotten out of his truck,
prepared his tools, and started a small fire to warm up while waiting.
But this time, he was just sitting inside his kei-truck (small Japanese work vehicle), smoking a cigarette.
When I approached, he got out and silently pointed toward the trail entrance.
There, lying on the ground,
were the bodies of two rabbits and a deer,
stacked neatly on top of one another.
Their organs had been removed.
Just one glance and I nearly threw up.
“You shouldn’t go into the mountain today,”
he said.
I didn’t feel like working anyway,
so I took his advice and turned back.
After that, I couldn’t bring myself to keep working on that mountain anymore.
I begged the old man to let someone else take my place,
and eventually another woodsman was assigned to that job.
Because of that, I earned less toward the end of the year
and couldn’t afford to go drinking as often,
but then I heard from the old man that the replacement worker had been seriously injured.
Apparently, he’d been distracted by something—
and was crushed under a falling tree.
Even now, I can’t help but wonder:
was he… called by the Kodama?
Kei-truck (軽トラ) — A small, light commercial truck commonly used in rural Japan for forestry and farm work.
Organs removed from animals — In Japanese folklore, such unnatural deaths in the mountains are often seen as warnings or “offerings” made by unseen spirits (yama no mono).
“Called by the Kodama” — Reflects a belief that certain mountain spirits or echoes can “call” a person’s name or lure them into danger. To answer—or even notice—means inviting misfortune or possession.
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