the country of the legend : japan

Hanako-san is one of the most popular and frightening legends of the Japanese archipelago.

In Japanese folklore, Hanako-san, which can literally be translated as "Miss Hanako", is a very popular urban legend that affects children and adolescents in particular.

Indeed, the legend tells that of a young girl who haunts the toilets of schools and high schools.
It is for this reason that the legend bears the name of Toire no Hanako-san (literally "Hanako-san of the toilets").

The myths that hang around Hanako-san are many and varied. Each region of the archipelago has its own version of the facts, so the appearance of Hanako differs considerably. Some will describe her as a young girl with a typical school look, black hair cut in the square, wearing a white shirt and a red skirt, while others will describe it more like the archetype of yurei: black long hair , arms hanging, dressed in a long white dress.

There are thus many versions of the original story of Hanako-san. According to certain versions, Hanako was a young child murdered during the Second World War: she was playing hide and seek with her comrades but was killed by a bombing while trying to hide in a bathroom.

Others, on the other hand, see Hanako as a young girl, this time more mature, harassed by a close pervert (teacher, family, etc.), trying to escape from her attacker, she finds herself in a law firm. toilet but this is where she gets murdered.

Still others see her as a student who voluntarily killed herself in this bathroom, or who jumped out of the window .

In any case, the ghost of young Hanako could not find peace, since her death was violent and she was animated with strong feelings during her last moments.

Hanako-san is known to traditionally haunt the third bathroom on the third floor, which in most cases corresponds to the girls' toilets. It should also be noted that in the majority of the versions of the legend, Hanako-san does not attack children directly, provided that they do not have fun provoking her and avoid meeting her in places where it used to appear.

According to urban legend, it is prohibited to stand in front of the mirror on the third floor toilet and to pronounce the name of Hanako-san three times without which, she would appear behind the provocateur and take him with her to the other world .

If a student wants to use the restroom, then they have to knock three times on the door and ask carefully, "Are you there, Hanako-san?". If she then answers "Yes, I'm there", it is strongly advised not to enter under penalty of being sucked with her into the bathroom. This practice is reminiscent of the European legend of Bloody Mary.

In Japan, a certain number of taboos hover around these "places of ease", which are thus regarded as dirty, unclean places. School toilets are more affected by these prejudices, which therefore perfectly explains the existence of the myth that revolves around Hanako.

The legend of Hanako-san, the toilet girl, became popular throughout Japan from the 1980s. She frightened the schoolchildren severely, who cautiously avoided the toilets on the third floor.