[2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Ghostly Rumors in Parks in Kyoto Prefecture

Rumors surrounding parks in Kyoto Prefecture cannot be treated as a single entity, with the existence of the location, the events described there, and the supernatural conclusions all being the same. In this paper, we will examine Sandanike Park, Rakusai Chikurin Park, and Yoshidayama Park, starting with specific descriptions from the source material, and then cross-reference them with local government/official tourist information and map data, separating the facts that can be confirmed from those that cannot be supported by the available documents.

Survey methods and evaluation criteria

The survey date was October 2, 2026. For each location, we directly verified one independent rumor-posting page and one administrator or official tourist guide. "Agreement" means that the original claim of the rumor is supported as the same fact; "Partial agreement" means that supported and unconfirmed claims coexist; "Disagreement" means that official records clearly deny the subject, location, date, use, etc.; "Unmeasurable" means that there is insufficient comparable records; and "New Fact" means that meaningful information not present in the rumor was obtained from official sources. The ranking is not based on the truthfulness of the supernatural occurrence, but rather on the sum of source transparency, historical and spatial context, safety information, freshness of information, and source transparency of the rumor.

1st place: Sandanike Park | Partial match (84 points)

The rumored details

The page on the nationwide paranormal map states, "Sandanike Park is a haunted spot located in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, which is also a park and castle ruin," and continues, "A female ghost appears there." Furthermore, it lists stories of many people committing suicide by drowning in the pond, rumors of male and female ghosts appearing in the nearby cemetery and around the pond, and a story of a woman in white standing near a telephone booth. These are rumors presented by the source and should not be considered factual.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The information was found on the Sandanike Park page of the National Haunted Map, and the page's last update date is November 25, 2023. The rumor section, address section, incident/accident section, and comment section are all mixed together on the same page, and the original source of the article or the source of the hearsay is not indicated. Therefore, in this article, it is treated as a secondary publication with an unknown origin, and site votes and the number of ratings are not counted as evidence of its strength.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: "Sandanike Park"(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — Sandanike Park is a park and castle ruin located in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, and is known as a haunted spot. It is pronounced "Sandanike Kouen". It is called a haunted spot because there are rumors that a female ghost appears there.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The official Fukuchiyama City website describes Sandanike Park as a comprehensive park surrounded by rich nature and pine forests, known for its cherry blossoms and azaleas. The park contains an arena, tennis courts, a field, a zoo, a botanical garden, and a children's science museum, offering a combination of sports, educational, and recreational facilities. The website states that the facilities are open from 9 am to 9 pm or 5 pm depending on the type of visit, and that there is free parking for approximately 1200 cars. While the location of Sandanike Park and current management and usage information can be confirmed, the official website does not acknowledge any rumors of ghosts, the high number of suicides at the pond, or sightings of a telephone booth.

• Fukuchiyama City Official "Sandanike Park"(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — This is a comprehensive park surrounded by abundant nature and pine forests, and is well known as a famous spot for cherry blossoms and azaleas.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The claim that "Sandanike Park is a park in Fukuchiyama City" is consistent with the official Fukuchiyama City website. Conversely, the core of the rumors—that "a female ghost appears," "many people committed suicide by drowning in the pond," and "a woman in white stands near the telephone booth"—is not mentioned in the official management documents we checked and therefore cannot be considered as support. While the official website indicates the existence of the facility, and thus part of the location matches, it does not corroborate the claims of paranormal activity or past deaths, so the judgment is only partial.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
Sandanike Park is a park located in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture.	support	This is because the official Fukuchiyama City website describes Sandanike Park as a comprehensive park and indicates that the facility is located within the city limits.	Fukuchiyama City Official "Sandanike Park"
A female ghost appears	Unconfirmed	The official documents I checked did not contain any description verifying the appearance of a female spirit, and therefore I cannot support the claim based solely on the source material.	No official data available for direct comparison.
A woman in white clothing is standing near the telephone booth.	Unconfirmed	Within the scope of this investigation, we were unable to obtain any independent public records to corroborate the eyewitness accounts of the telephone booth.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The ponds, cemeteries, water surfaces, pine forests, nighttime lighting, and reflections mentioned by the source may influence how they actually appear and how they are remembered. Furthermore, since the page itself links together multiple accounts, we will avoid interpreting the existence of the facility and the cause of the strange occurrences as a single, unified source.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The official documents used for verification are from the Fukuchiyama City website, which describes the current state of the park and its facilities, and do not include records of past suicides, sightings of the phone booth, or verification of the presence of spirits. Since this is not a comprehensive investigation that covers the original source of the rumors, individual witnesses, old newspapers, or administrative records, we will not use the lack of information as evidence of denial, and will limit the scope of verification to the current documents.

Verification results: Partial match

The location and facility configuration of Sandanike Park as a comprehensive park can be confirmed in official documents from Fukuchiyama City, and partially matches the location description in the source. However, the claims of a female ghost, the high number of suicides at the pond, and the woman in white at the telephone booth cannot be confirmed in official documents. After separating the supported location information from the unconfirmed claims of paranormal activity, we have determined that there is a partial match.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	27/30	You can check the update date and specific details of the rumor page, and also directly compare it with the official city page.
Historical and spatial context	20/25	Having information on the facility layout of the comprehensive park and current usage guidelines allows for a concrete visualization of the local space.
Safety information	16/20	Information on opening hours, facilities, and parking is provided, allowing visitors to make informed decisions on-site.
Newness of information	14/15	The official page was updated on September 1, 2026, and includes current information close to the survey date.
Transparency of the source of rumors	7/10	The main points of the rumor and the publication/update date are available, but the original source and corroboration from those who experienced it are not provided.
total	84/100	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 Fukuchiyama City guide indicates the operating hours for each facility, and there is free parking for approximately 1200 cars. For nighttime use and access to restricted areas, please prioritize on-site signs and guidance from the administrators. Do not enter private property or managed areas, and avoid making noise or taking unauthorized photographs.

Map location: The map on the public page shows a representative point of the park, but does not specify the rumored sighting location or the area where entry is permitted.

Check the area around Sandanike Park on Google Maps.

2nd place: Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park | Partial match (82 points)

The rumored details

The page in the National Haunted Map lists Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park as a haunted spot in the "Parks and Castle Ruins" section of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, noting that "a female ghost appears there." Furthermore, it lists rumors of a self-immolation in the children's playground in the late 1990s, a rumor that a faceless female ghost sits on a covered bench (gazebo?) near the playground, a story of a woman hanging herself in the pond, and a rumor that a headless samurai runs around. These are described as local legends and rumors.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The page I checked was last updated on June 5, 2023, and the update information includes a post from December 23, 2021. No original source or official records of individual incidents are provided, and the rumor paragraph and comments are in separate posting sections. In this article, we treat this as a secondary publication with an unknown origin, and we do not count the number of ratings or voting results on the site as supporting evidence for the incident.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — Rakusai Chikurin Park is a haunted spot located in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, which is also the site of a former castle. It is pronounced "Rakusai Chikurin Koen". This place is known as a haunted spot because of rumors that a female ghost appears there.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi lists the official name as Kyoto City Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park and provides information on the bamboo museum, ecological garden, and children's playground. The museum has exhibition rooms and a tea room, and the ecological garden is a 5,000 square meter strolling garden with 110 species of bamboo and dwarf bamboo collected from various regions. The children's playground is described as a place equipped with playground equipment, and the opening hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4 pm, and it is closed on Wednesdays and during the New Year holidays. The official guide confirms the facilities and opening hours, but it does not corroborate the rumors of self-immolation, suicide in the pond, the faceless woman, or the samurai.

• Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi "Kyoto City Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park"(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — The children's playground is a bright and fun place where even young children can play safely, with a variety of play equipment, as well as opportunities to play using natural terrain, bamboo, water, and other materials.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The location element of the rumor page claiming "there is a children's playground in Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park" matches the children's playground with multi-purpose play equipment described in the official guide. However, the claims regarding the park's opening year, the self-immolation, the sighting on the covered bench, the suicide in the pond, and the headless samurai are not recorded in the official documents we have checked. While some aspects of the facility are supported, the causal relationship between the strange occurrences and incidents remains unconfirmed, hence it is only a partial match.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
Children's play area	support	This is because the Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi describes the children's play area as an official park facility and also includes information about the multi-purpose play equipment.	Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi "Kyoto City Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park"
It is said that a self-immolation occurred in the children's playground in the late 1990s.	Unconfirmed	The official tourist information we checked does not contain any date or record of the incident in question, and it cannot be corroborated by rumors alone.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There's a rumor that the ghost of a faceless woman sits on a covered bench (a gazebo?) near the square.	Unconfirmed	We were unable to find any independent records in the official documents to verify the paranormal claim of a sighting on the bench.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Rumors of a headless samurai running around	Unconfirmed	We were unable to find any official records or specific dates to support the legend of the headless samurai.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The way the view is obstructed by the bamboo grove, the path along the pond, the covered rest areas, and the lack of lighting at night can all contribute to misjudging distance and shape. Regarding the stone Buddha statues, we will not determine their excavation history solely based on the source's explanation; we will differentiate between those mentioned in official documents and those that do.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The official tourist information we consulted describes the current facilities and does not verify the opening year, past incidents, or rumored eyewitness accounts. The source does not include the date and time of the incident or links to primary sources, and the individual locations of the pond, plaza, and benches cannot be identified on the map. Therefore, we do not consider the unconfirmed parts to be negations.

Verification results: Partial match

The Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi website allows you to check the children's playground, museum, ecological garden, and opening hours for Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park, and these partially match the location elements of the source. However, the opening year, the self-immolation, the suicide in the pond, the sighting of the bench, and the claim of a headless samurai cannot be confirmed in official documents. After separating the facility information from the rumored strange occurrences and incidents, we have determined that there is a partial match.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	26/30	The rumored update date and specific details are listed, and you can also directly check the official information from Kyoto City.
Historical and spatial context	19/25	The facility includes explanations of the bamboo museum, ecological garden, and plaza, making it easy to understand the park's spatial layout.
Safety information	16/20	Opening hours, entry times, closing days, and park facilities are clearly stated, which is helpful when deciding whether to visit.
Newness of information	14/15	You can check the current operating hours and closing days on the day of your visit using the official tourist information.
Transparency of the source of rumors	7/10	While the specific details of the rumors can be read, there are no primary sources or clues indicating the first appearance of the information about the incident.
total	82/100	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

Official opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. The park is closed on Wednesdays and during the New Year holidays. Please follow the signs of the park management regarding paths and facilities, and avoid entering after closing hours, exploring the bamboo groves and around the ponds without caution, and making noise that may disturb the surrounding area.

Map Location: The map on the public page shows a representative point of the park, but does not specify the location of the rumored pond, plaza, benches, or accessible areas.

Check the area around Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park on Google Maps.

3rd Place: Yoshidayama Park | New Facts (76 points)

The rumored details

The page on the National Haunted Map lists Yoshidayama Park as a haunted spot in the "Parks and Castle Ruins" section of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and notes that "the ghost of a boy appears there." The rumors section of the main text contains short posts such as "There are suicides about four times a year," "I went bug hunting in the summer and found two," and "Beyond the park is a low mountain with a walking path..." There are also other descriptions of the appearance in the comments section. In this article, we treat these as posts and rumors from the source and do not assume they are facts.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The page I checked was last updated on September 1, 2022, and the page itself indicates that Yoshidayama Park was registered on the same day. Short posts in the rumors section do not include the poster's name or primary source, and the incidents/accidents section displays "No news." Therefore, although the existence of published examples can be confirmed, the frequency and original source of the discovered content cannot be confirmed, and these are classified as secondary publications or of unknown origin.

• National Haunted Map: "Yoshidayama Park"(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — Yoshida-yama Park is a park and castle ruin located in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and is known as a haunted spot. It is pronounced "Yoshida-yama Kouen". This place is known as a haunted spot because there are rumors that the ghost of a young boy appears there.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi describes Yoshida-yama as a 102-meter-high hill located in Yoshida Kaguraoka-cho, Sakyo-ku, and states that it is an isolated hill 400 meters long from north to south, separated from the Hiei Mountains by the Hanaori Fault, and that the entire hillside is the grounds of Yoshida Shrine, now a scenic area that has been turned into a park. Yoshida-yama is described in the official tourism materials as an isolated hill 400 meters long from north to south, separated from the Hiei Mountains by the Hanaori Fault. The formation of this topography, which is not mentioned in the rumors, does not prove any supernatural occurrences, but should be recorded separately as background information for the setting. The topography and park status of the area corresponding to the listed name "Yoshida-yama Park" can be confirmed, but there is no description to support the boy's ghost, the frequency of suicides, or the details of the discovery.

• Kyoto City Official Tourism Navi "Yoshida-yama"(Confirmed on 2026-10-02) — Located in Yoshida Kaguraoka-cho, Sakyo-ku, at an elevation of 102 meters. It is an isolated hill 400 meters from north to south, separated from the Hiei Mountains by the Hanaori Fault. The entire hill area is the grounds of Yoshida Shrine and is affectionately known as "Kaguraoka" (meaning "sacred seat hill"). It was frequently a battlefield in the Middle Ages. It is now a park and a scenic area.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The claims on the rumor page—"A boy's ghost appears," "There are about four suicides a year," and "I went insect hunting in the summer and found two"—are not found in the official Kyoto City tourist guide, and no comparable public records were obtained. On the other hand, the official guide describes Yoshida Mountain as a hill 102 meters high, the grounds of Yoshida Shrine, and a scenic area that has been turned into a park, but this does not support the rumored paranormal claims. To avoid establishing direct agreement or contradiction, we will present new topographical information in a separate section.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
The ghost of a boy appears	Unconfirmed	The official Kyoto City tourist guide I checked contains no mention of verifying the appearance of the boy's ghost, and therefore cannot be supported based solely on the rumor from the source.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There are about four suicides per year.	Unconfirmed	Within the scope of this investigation, we were unable to obtain any incident statistics or public records to support the suicide rate claim, and therefore, this claim will be treated as unconfirmed.	No official data available for direct comparison.
I went bug hunting in the summer and found them twice.	Unconfirmed	There are no records or corroborating statements from the poster that can identify the specifics of the insects discovered during the insect collecting, making it impossible to compare them with official documents.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The elevation differences of the hills, the density of trees, the visibility of the walking paths, seasonal insects, and darkness can all contribute to the perception of distant sounds and movements. The boundary between the parked hillside and the shrine grounds can also easily lead to confusion in the names of the locations mentioned.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The official guide explains the topography, history, and park development, but it is not a document that verifies the rumored suicide frequency, discovery details, or sightings of boys. Since it does not include individual records of incidents or accidents, corroboration of posters' experiences, or the origin of the rumors, claims that cannot be measured will not be treated as inconsistencies.

Verification results: New facts

The claims in the rumors about the boy's ghost, the high suicide rate, and the discovery while insect collecting cannot be supported or refuted by the official documents. On the other hand, the topographical information not mentioned in the rumors—that it is an isolated hill separated from the Hiei Mountains by the Hanaori Fault—can be confirmed in the official documents, which helps to concretize the understanding of the setting. Rather than speculating about supernatural occurrences to fill the gaps in comparison, we will consider this to be a new fact.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	24/30	You can check the update date and content of the rumors, and also directly compare them with the text of the official Kyoto City tourist guide.
Historical and spatial context	20/25	The context of elevation, fault-related topography, shrine grounds, and park development is specifically presented.
Safety information	15/20	The park-like scenic area and traffic information serve as reminders to be mindful of your footing and boundaries.
Newness of information	11/15	I checked the current pages of the official tourist information website on the day of my research, but the date of update is only partially indicated.
Transparency of the source of rumors	6/10	While the short posts are readable, there are few links to information about the posters or case files.
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

Official tourist information describes Yoshidayama as a scenic area that has been turned into a park, and indicates that it is 500 meters from the Kyoto University Main Gate bus stop. When you are there, please prioritize following signs for shrine grounds and parks, paying attention to your footing and the paths that are passable, and avoid walking alone at night or entering private property or restricted areas.

Map location: The map on the public page shows a representative point around Yoshidayama Park, but does not specify the exact location where the rumors originated or the area where entry is permitted.

Check the area around Yoshidayama Park on Google Maps.

What I learned by crossing locations

Comparing the three locations, the rumor-posting page not only concludes that "ghosts appear," but also includes specific elements such as addresses, facility names, and details like ponds, plazas, and roads. Official documents confirm the existence of parks and hills, facilities, operating hours, and topography, but they do not confirm the frequency of paranormal phenomena or suicides. For Sandanike Park, the information confirms it is a comprehensive park; for Rakusai Chikurin Park, it confirms the bamboo museum and children's playground; and for Yoshidayama Park, it confirms the topography of Yoshidayama and its development as a park. Therefore, while the identification of locations and some structural aspects can be compared, the paranormal conclusions of the rumors cannot be supported with the same strength.

summary

What we were able to confirm is that Sandanike Park is a comprehensive park in Fukuchiyama City, Rakusai Bamboo Forest Park has a bamboo museum, ecological garden, and children's playground, and Yoshidayama is an isolated hill in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City that has been turned into a park. On the other hand, the appearance of ghosts, the frequency of suicides, and any causal link to specific people or incidents cannot be determined from the official documents we have reviewed. When reading rumors, please distinguish between the wording of the source, the date of confirmation, and the scope of official documents, and when at the site, please prioritize respecting opening hours, entry restrictions, and consideration for the surrounding area.

FAQ

Is the mere existence of a page listing rumors sufficient evidence of a phenomenon?

No, that's not correct. The existence of a page only indicates that a particular story was circulating at a specific time. To confirm the existence of a phenomenon or the occurrence of an event, separate records are needed for each claim.

What does "partial match" mean in this case?

This means that some of the specific claims in the rumors, such as locations and facilities, are consistent with official documents, while the remaining claims, such as ghost sightings and the causal relationship between the incidents, cannot be confirmed. This does not constitute a judgment that the entire paranormal phenomenon is real.

Do the map coordinates indicate the sighting location?

We do not provide specific locations. The map is a representative point for verifying locations on the public page. In large parks and hills, it does not identify individual locations within the park, the source of rumors, or the areas where entry is permitted, so please prioritize on-site signage and guidance from the administrator.