Strange statues and folklore haunt Japan's Yokai town

Fukusaki (福崎町) is a town located in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kunio Yanagita, a scholar and folklorist who has been called the father of Japanese folklore studies, was born in this town of 20,000 people. The town has striking statues of Yokai ( supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore) spread around.

A trip to Fukusaki looks like an amazingly spooky time. You'll find some truly scary looking creatures on benches, hanging upside down from telephone wires, and drawn on signs. One of the most eye-catching Yokai sculptures in this town is one with wild flowing hair and a big mouth full of sharp teeth that is submerged in a gigantic cylinder of water. This one holds the sign that says "Welcome to Fukusaki"

It seems like so much fun to live in a town where a large underwater monster welcomes people. Some of these statues look like horror movies come to life, and I imagine that some people become very creeped out by them, especially at night. I hope to spend the day here sometime .


See also: Animatronic, maniacally giggling spooky eyeball doorbell