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All Japan Ichikawa Yawata no Yabushirazu

Yawata no Yabushirazu

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare enter it.

Ichikawa, Japan

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Fred Cherrygarden
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The forbidden forest of Yawata no Yabushirazu.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Only this small portion can be visited.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The hokora dedicated to the forest.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A forbidden forest in the middle of a residential district.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The bamboos of Yawata no Yabushirazu.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The bamboo grove.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The shrine is called Shirazu-no-mori Shrine.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Yawata no Yabushirazu, December 2024.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A stele dated 1857.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The forbidden forest on a rainy night.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Do not enter.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The forbidden bamboo forest of Yawata.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The small shrine in front of the forest.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Yawata no Yabushirazu.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Information (in Japanese only).   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The forest of Yawata is infamous in Japan, so much that its full name—Yawata no Yabushirazu—has become synonymous with mazes, later evolving into an idiom meaning “to get lost.” Even today, entry into the forest is strictly forbidden and an eerie atmosphere surrounds it. Although the forest is often sited as a haunted spot, it’s not ghosts that make this place spooky, but something else.

Since at least the early 19th century, it has been said that those who enter Yawata no Yabushirazu are bound to get spirited away, never to be seen again (a phenomenon known in Japan as kamikakushi, like the Studio Ghibli movie). This is the most popular legend about the forest, but its origin is disputed. Some blame it on a local kitsune, or fox spirit-deity, while some claim that the forest is haunted by the ghost of some ancient samurai lord, such as Masakado and Yoshimochi of the Taira clan. Other theories posit that there is either a bottomless pit or some source of poisonous gas within the forest.

Once filled with a dozen kinds of trees, Yabushirazu is now mostly a thicket of moso bamboo spread a little more than 40 square yards, and has reportedly been so since the Edo period. Today, it's considered a sacred place and a hokora or small shrine is dedicated to it. It may not look much today, standing next to a parking lot and surrounded by modern buildings, but there's still no guarantee that you can make it out alive.

Related Tags

Forests Haunted Ghosts Legends Bamboo Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

The nearest station is either Keisei Yawata and Moto-Yawata, both about 5 minutes away by walk. Whether you believe in the legend or not, the forest is barred by fences and entry is still strictly forbidden, so keep your visit to the hokora only and remember to be respectful.

Though small in size, Shirazu-no-mori Shrine issues goshuin stamps, which can be purchased at the nearby Katsushika Hachiman-gū for 500 yen.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

May 7, 2020

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  • https://www.travel.smileandhappiness.net/yawatanoyabushirazu-english.html
  • https://www.kowabana.net/2019/02/19/the-confined-area-in-chiba/
Yawata no Yabushirazu
2 Chome-8 Yawata
Ichikawa, 272-0021
Japan
35.721457, 139.92999
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