[2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Paranormal Rumors about Abandoned Buildings and Buildings in Southern Kanto

From the candidates in southern Kanto, we will focus on three locations where we have directly obtained rumor pages, publicly available documents from local governments and police, and coordinates that have been aligned: Sakura Castle Ruins Park, Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel), and Shirahata Shrine (commonly known as Daruma Shrine). We have separated the legends, incidents, building conditions, and strange occurrences contained in the rumors into claim units and checked to what extent they can be compared with independent sources. The mere existence of a rumor or the physical existence of a location will not be treated as evidence of a strange occurrence.

Survey methods and evaluation criteria

We extracted specific claims actually written on rumor pages and compared them with official and administrator documents dealing with the same subject, facts, and polarity. The results were categorized into five groups: "Agreement" where all claims were supported, "Partial Agreement" where some were supported and others unconfirmed, "Disagreement" where there were direct contradictions, "Unmeasurable" due to insufficient comparative data, and "New Facts" where important information not found in the rumors was confirmed, although a direct comparison was not possible. Matching names or addresses alone does not support the supernatural phenomenon. The ranking of document quality was evaluated based on source transparency (30 points), historical/spatial context (25 points), safety information (20 points), freshness of information (15 points), and rumor source transparency (10 points), and is separate from the ranking of fear or danger level.

1st Place: Sakura Castle Ruins Park | Partial Match (92 points)

The rumored details

The National Haunted Map describes an accident that occurred at Uba-ga-ike Pond in Sakura Castle Ruins Park, when a wet nurse was caring for the daughter of a chief retainer. This article will examine the core of this story through the legend that "the wet nurse accidentally dropped the child into the pond and drowned." The page also mentions that the old woman, in desperation, threw herself into the pond, that at night the sound of an old woman sobbing and luminous objects appear, and that there are 13 steps in the park rumored to be execution steps, and that climbing them will bring a curse.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The source of the rumor is the "Sakura Castle Ruins Park" page on the National Haunted Map, a secondary listing that was updated on September 5, 2026. It summarizes the legend of Uba-ga-ike Pond, the old woman's voice, a luminous object, and the curse of the 13 steps, but does not present the date and time of any sightings of the strange occurrences, witnesses, or primary records that the 13 steps were used as an execution platform.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: "Sakura Castle Ruins Park"(Verification Date: 2026-09-22) — This includes the legend of a wet nurse who threw her daughter into Uba-ga-ike Pond and then threw herself in, the sobbing of an old woman at night and a glowing object, and the theory of a 13-step execution platform and curse.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The official Sakura City website describes Sakura Castle Ruins Park as a historical park built on the site of Sakura Castle, and clearly states that a sad story is told about the "Uba-ga-ike" pond within the park, in which a wet nurse accidentally drowned her child while letting him play by the pond's edge. Therefore, the core of the accident legend can be confirmed in independent sources. On the other hand, the city's website does not record the wet nurse's suicide, the old woman's sobbing, the glowing object, the execution platform, or the curse that occurs when climbing the stairs.

• Sakura City: "About Sakura Castle Ruins Park"(Confirmed on 2026-09-22) — The park explains that there is a pond called "Uba-ga-ike" (Old Woman's Pond) in the park, where a sad story is told that long ago, a wet nurse accidentally drowned her child while letting him play by the pond's edge.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The legend that the wet nurse drowned the child in the pond was supported because both the rumor page and the official Sakura City page record it as the same story of Uba-ga-ike Pond. However, the continuation that the wet nurse jumped into the pond, the nighttime voices and glowing objects, the explanation that the 13 steps were an execution platform, and the result that climbing them would bring a curse could not be directly compared with the city documents obtained. Because supported elements of the legend and unconfirmed claims coexist, there is only partial agreement.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
The wet nurse accidentally dropped the child into the pond and he drowned.	support	The official website of Sakura City also records the legend of Uba-ga-ike Pond, in which a wet nurse accidentally drowned a child while letting him play by the pond.	Sakura City: "About Sakura Castle Ruins Park"
The old woman, in desperation, threw herself into the pond.	Unconfirmed	The Sakura City page I obtained only describes the incident up to the point of the child drowning, but it does not include the subsequent development of the wet nurse jumping into the water.	No official data available for direct comparison.
At night, the sound of an old woman sobbing and luminous objects appear.	Unconfirmed	The city's park guide is a document that deals with local traditions and the history of the facilities, and therefore does not contain any records of observations of nighttime sounds or luminous phenomena.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There are 13 steps rumored to be used for executions, and climbing them will bring a curse.	Unconfirmed	This is because the official page obtained does not contain records that allow for direct comparison of the purpose of the staircase, the number of steps, its use in executions, or any abnormalities that may occur after climbing it.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

Official documents only go as far as the story of the accident that occurred at Uba-ga-ike Pond. While the sound of the pond's water, the swaying of the trees, the reflections in the dark, and the association with the stepped structure may have influenced later ghost stories, it is not possible to identify the cause of individual voices or lights based solely on the available documents.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The scope of our verification was limited to the relevant page on the National Haunted Map and the publicly available page of the Sakura City Parks and Green Spaces Division. We did not obtain information on the time when the legend was established, the evolution of the story, design documents showing the purpose of the 13 steps, or records of continuous observation of nighttime phenomena. We are not using the fact that it is not mentioned on the city's page as counter-evidence.

Verification results: Partial match

The area of partial agreement is the core of the legend that a wet nurse accidentally drowned her child in Uba-ga-ike Pond at Sakura Castle Ruins Park. The wet nurse's suicide, the old woman's sobbing, the glowing object, the 13-step execution platform theory, and the curse cannot be supported or refuted. This is the result of comparing the elements of the legend explicitly mentioned in the rumors with independent sources, rather than considering the actual existence of the place or the general history of the castle ruins.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	29/30	This is because we can directly access the rumor page and the Sakura City Parks and Green Spaces Division page, allowing us to compare the legends of Uba-ga-ike Pond on a case-by-case basis.
Historical and spatial context	24/25	This is because the city's records specifically explain the history of the site, including its history as a castle ruin, park development, Uba-ga-ike Pond, and army facilities.
Safety information	17/20	We were able to confirm the location, management center, and information on access restrictions, but this does not cover individual operations at night.
Newness of information	13/15	This is because both pages were re-retrieved on September 22, 2026, and the city page displays an update date of December 3, 2025.
Transparency of the source of rumors	9/10	The components of the rumor and the update date are clearly stated, but the first appearance of the strange phenomenon, the witnesses, and the date of occurrence cannot be confirmed.
total	92/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

Even in public historical parks, please prioritize on-site notices and guidance from Sakura City regarding entry restrictions, construction work, parking restrictions, and nighttime usage conditions. Do not cross fences around ponds or moats, and avoid acting alone in dark areas, making noise, or taking photos that obstruct passage.

Map location: These are the representative coordinates returned by Nominatim as the park polygon for Sakura Castle Ruins Park.

Check the area around Sakura Castle Ruins Park on Google Maps.

2nd Place: Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) | Unmeasurable (85 points)

The rumored details

The National Haunted Map lists Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) as an abandoned hotel in Togane City and states that "a female high school student was taken into this building on December 22, 2004." It further claims that "the body was placed inside a large refrigerator," and includes rumors that the girl's vengeful spirit still wanders the building after the incident, causing phenomena such as the appearance of a woman. These are claims made on a rumor page and will not be taken as official facts in this article.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The source of the rumor is the "Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel)" page on the National Haunted Map website. It lists the name of the abandoned hotel, its address, the specific date of the incident, the victim's profile, the method of disposal, and the strange occurrences as a single story, but there are no links to independent sources such as police statements, court rulings, or original news articles in the relevant section. The initial appearance and transmission route are unknown.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: "Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel)"(Verification Date: 2026-09-22) — This article describes an abandoned hotel in Togane City, mentioning an incident involving a female high school student on December 22, 2004, the abandonment of her body in a refrigerator, and rumors of the girl's vengeful spirit and the figure of a woman.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

A public post from the Togane Police Station warns of frequent trespassing at an abandoned building known as "Katsugyo" (Live Fish) within its jurisdiction, stating that it is dangerous not only because it violates the law but also because it is at risk of collapse due to its dilapidation. The post is tagged with "Yui Grand Hotel" and "haunted spot." This confirms that Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) is an abandoned building that the police have issued a warning about, but it does not explain the date of the incident in 2004, the victim, the method of disposal, or the woman's appearance.

• Togane Police Station issues warning regarding entry into abandoned buildings referred to as "live fish"(Confirmed on 2026-09-22) — The Togane Police Station has issued a warning that frequent trespassing into a ruined building known as "Katsugyo" (Live Fish) has occurred within its jurisdiction, posing a serious danger not only due to legal violations but also because of the possibility of collapse due to deterioration.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The police post contains evidence of intrusion into the abandoned building known as "Katsugyo" and the risk of collapse, but the location's nickname and the state of the ruins alone are not used to support the supernatural occurrences. The claims made on the rumor page regarding the abduction on December 22, 2004, death inside the building, abandonment in a refrigerator, and the vengeful spirit of the girl cannot be supported or refuted by the police post obtained. Due to the lack of incident records that allow for direct comparison, the overall result cannot be determined.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
A female high school student was lured into this building on December 22, 2004.	Unconfirmed	The posts obtained by the Togane Police Station deal with current intrusion prevention and collapse risk, but do not include the dates, victims, or circumstances of past incidents.	No official data available for direct comparison.
The body was placed inside a large refrigerator.	Unconfirmed	The official posts obtained do not contain any records regarding the location of the abandonment or the items, and therefore cannot support or refute the same claims.	No official data available for direct comparison.
The vengeful spirit of a young girl wanders the building, causing phenomena such as the appearance of a woman.	Unconfirmed	Police posts are intended to warn about laws and physical dangers, not to provide personal profiles or records of paranormal phenomena.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The police warnings about dilapidation, the risk of collapse, and frequent trespassing can contribute to feelings of intense fear from noises in the dark, deformation of floors and walls, and encounters with third parties. However, these danger factors alone cannot explain the causes of the individual experiences described in the rumors.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The scope of our verification is limited to the relevant page on the National Haunted Map website and public posts from the Togane Police Station. The police posts are warnings about preventing trespassing in abandoned buildings and do not contain summaries of past incidents. Because we have not been able to directly obtain court records or police statements from that time, we have not been able to confirm the dates, number of victims, victim profiles, and disposal methods mentioned on the rumor page.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

We were able to confirm that Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) is a ruined building that the police have warned of as being dangerous due to the risk of trespassing and collapse. However, this is not evidence to support the details of the strange occurrences or past incidents. The events of December 22, 2004, which are at the core of the rumors, the abandonment of the body in the refrigerator, and the vengeful spirit of the girl, cannot be compared with any official records obtained within the scope of this investigation, making it impossible to measure.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	27/30	This is because we can directly obtain information from rumor pages and public posts from the Togane Police Station, allowing us to separate the verifiable state of the ruins from the unverified incident claims.
Historical and spatial context	16/25	The rumor page contains a detailed description of the incident, but we have not been able to obtain official incident records to verify the same information.
Safety information	20/20	This is because the Togane Police Station has issued specific warnings regarding violations of the law, frequent trespassing, and the possibility of collapse due to deterioration.
Newness of information	14/15	Both pages were retrieved on September 22, 2026, and the police warning is relatively recent information, having been published on August 14, 2025.
Transparency of the source of rumors	8/10	The date of the incident and the details of the rumors are specific, but there are no references to primary sources such as police statements or court rulings.
total	85/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

The Togane Police Station has indicated that entering the abandoned building may violate the law and that there is a risk of collapse due to deterioration. Do not enter the premises or buildings without permission from the owner or manager, and avoid parking or stopping on the road, making noise at night, or taking photos that obstruct nearby residents or passing vehicles.

Map location: These are the coordinates obtained by reverse-looking up the location on the rumor page as the location of Yui, Togane City using Nominatim.

Check the area around Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) on Google Maps.

3rd Place: Shirahata Shrine (commonly known as Daruma Shrine) | Unmeasurable (76 points)

The rumored details

The Gibo Appraisal Office's website describes Shirahata Shrine (commonly known as Daruma Shrine) as being located in Ojinbocho, Funabashi City. The page states that the reason it became a haunted spot was that "in 2002, three 17-18 year olds kidnapped and murdered a male university student and abandoned his body on the shrine grounds." It also mentions that "curses were once performed there using an old Daruma doll imbued with vengeful spirits," and that there have been a series of sightings of a young woman.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The source of the rumor is the 14th installment of "Psychic Verification! The Truth Behind Famous Haunted Spots!" published by a telephone fortune-telling service provider. The article includes the location, a description of the incident, a curse, a woman's eyewitness account, and the author's psychic reading results. The original documents of the incident, police statements, court judgments, and eyewitness accounts are not provided, so it is necessary to read the factual records and the psychic claims separately.

• Gibo Appraisal Office: "The 14th Daruma Shrine"(Verification Date: 2026-09-22) — The official name is Shirahata Shrine, and its location is 636 Ojinbocho, Funabashi City. It includes claims regarding the 2002 incident, the abandonment of a body on the shrine grounds, a curse using an old Daruma doll, and the sighting of a young woman.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The official name of the religious corporation in Chiba Prefecture, as confirmed in the list of religious corporations in Chiba Prefecture, is "Shiraha Shrine" (commonly known as "Daruma Shrine"). The list records that it is Shinto-affiliated, its parent organization is the Association of Shinto Shrines, its municipality is Funabashi City, and its address is 636 Ogamibocho. The prefectural records do not include the common name "Daruma Shrine," the 2002 incident, the abandonment of the body, the curse, or the sighting of a young woman, so the list of religious corporations cannot be used to corroborate these claims.

• Chiba Prefecture, Funabashi City | List of Religious Corporations(Confirmed on 2026-09-22) — The list of religious corporations, under district code 040 and serial number 026, is recorded as Shinto-affiliated, affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines, with the corporate name "Shiraha Shrine" and located at 636 Ojinbocho, Funabashi City.

Points of agreement/contradictions

While the location on the rumor page matches the location of Shirahata Shrine in the prefectural directory, a match in name or address alone cannot support the claim of an incident or supernatural occurrence. Regarding the central rumor—the 2002 abduction, murder, and abandonment of the body on the shrine grounds, the curse using an old Daruma doll, and the appearance of a young woman—the list of religious corporations does not have comparable records. Since all core claims are unconfirmed, the results are immeasurable.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
In 2002, three people aged 17-18 abducted and murdered a male university student and abandoned his body on the grounds of a shrine.	Unconfirmed	The list of religious corporations in Chiba Prefecture is a document that records official names and addresses, and does not include information on the date of the incident, the parties involved, or the location where the body was abandoned.	No official data available for direct comparison.
In the past, curses were performed using old, imbued Daruma dolls.	Unconfirmed	The prefectural documents obtained do not contain records regarding Daruma dolls, curses, removal, or their treatment in religious ceremonies, making independent comparisons impossible.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There were a series of sightings of a young woman.	Unconfirmed	This is because the rumor page lacks original records of sighting dates and witnesses, and the list of religious organizations is not intended as a resource for observing the phenomenon.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The use of both the official and common names, the approach to the shrine surrounded by trees, and the layout where the incident description and the psychic reading results are presented consecutively on the same page make it easier to accept the shrine as a legal entity and the later ghost stories as a single narrative. However, the acquired materials alone cannot determine when the common name was established or the cause of individual experiences.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The scope of our verification was limited to the page published by the Gibo Appraisal Office and the list of religious corporations in Chiba Prefecture. The prefectural list is a document that publishes corporate information and is not a criminal record or folklore research source. We were unable to obtain police or court documents, records of the management of cursed objects, or original eyewitness accounts that link the 2002 incident to the same location.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

While we can confirm the official name of Shirahata Shrine and its corporate address at 636 Ogamibocho, this does not prove any connection to the incidents or strange occurrences associated with the so-called Daruma Shrine. Because there is no independent evidence to directly compare the 2002 incident mentioned on the rumor page—the abandonment of a body on the shrine grounds, the curse using an old Daruma doll, and the sighting of a young woman—we have determined that it is impossible to determine whether it supports or contradicts the claims.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	25/30	I obtained information directly from the rumor page and the corporate directory of Chiba Prefecture, but I haven't been able to obtain any official records to cross-reference with the incidents or eyewitness accounts.
Historical and spatial context	14/25	While the official corporate name, lineage, and address can be confirmed, there is a lack of information regarding the origin of the common name and its connection to the incident.
Safety information	14/20	While we can identify the location, we do not have access to administrator documents indicating visiting hours, restricted areas, or the latest regulations in the surrounding area.
Newness of information	14/15	This is because both pages were retrieved on September 22, 2026, and the list of corporations in Chiba Prefecture is displayed as having been updated on September 7, 2026.
Transparency of the source of rumors	9/10	The details of the incident, the curse, and the eyewitness accounts are specific, but the original sources, police records, and eyewitness accounts are not provided.
total	76/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

Religious facilities require consideration for worshippers, parishioners, and nearby residents. Avoid nighttime ghost hunting, touching temple facilities, climbing over doors or fences, prolonged photography, and noise. Prioritize restricted access and guidance from administrators.

Map location: These are the representative coordinates of the building polygon that was returned as Shirahata Shrine in Ojinbocho, Funabashi City by Nominatim.

Check the area around Shirahata Shrine (commonly known as Daruma Shrine) on Google Maps.

What I learned by crossing locations

At Sakura Castle Ruins Park, the legend of the accident at Uba-ga-ike Pond, which was at the heart of the rumors, was recorded in the Sakura City explanation, but subsequent incidents of jumping into the water, sobbing, and the curse on the stairs could not be confirmed. While the Togane Police Station has warned against entering the abandoned Hotel Katsugyo (Yui Grand Hotel) and the risk of collapse, the details of the 2004 incident and the strange occurrences described on the rumor page could not be compared with official postings. Although the official name and location of Shirahata Shrine (commonly known as Daruma Shrine) could be confirmed in the prefecture's corporate directory, no records were found to corroborate the incident, curse, or eyewitness accounts. It is important to distinguish between locations where part of the legend could be confirmed and locations where only the location could be identified.

summary

In this limited investigation, only Sakura Castle Ruins Park showed some agreement regarding the specific components of the legend. The remaining two locations, even though official documents show the condition of the facilities and official corporate information, could not be directly supported or refuted, making measurement impossible. The safety precautions that were confirmed do not prove the phenomena. At the sites, please prioritize the regulations imposed by the administrators and avoid trespassing into the ruins or engaging in nighttime ghost hunting.

FAQ

Does "partially matching" mean that the supernatural phenomenon is factual?

No. The legend that gained support at Sakura Castle Ruins Park is the Uba-ga-ike accident, in which a wet nurse drowned a child in the pond. The old woman's voice, the suicide by jumping, and the curse on the stairs lack independent evidence and do not constitute a confirmation of the existence of supernatural phenomena.

If there is no record of the incident in the official documents, is that a discrepancy?

No. Because the purpose and scope of the official pages differ, the mere fact that something isn't listed doesn't disprove the rumor. Claims for which direct comparative records are unavailable are considered unconfirmed and are therefore grouped as "unmeasurable" for this discussion.

May I go into Hotel Katsu-gyo to check?

The Togane Police Station is warning against entering the abandoned building known as "Katsugyo" (Live Fish), citing legal violations and the risk of collapse due to deterioration. Do not enter without explicit permission from the owner or manager, and do not disturb traffic or the lives of nearby residents, even if you are on a public road.

If the data is updated, will the assessment change?

This is subject to change. If records are released from the police, courts, local governments, facility managers, etc., that allow for direct comparison of the same claim, it will be necessary to re-evaluate each claim after reconfirming the acquisition date, subject, and context.