[2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Paranormal Rumors Related to Waterfronts (Waterfalls, Lakes, Dams, and the Sea) in the Sanyo Region

This analysis focuses on three locations in the Sanyo region surrounding lakes and dams, where rumors circulating about these sites could be directly verified through separate rumor pages and official/administrative documents. Beyond mere eyewitness accounts of paranormal activity, specific claims such as completion year, facility purpose, and building location were also analyzed to distinguish what the documents support and what they fail to verify. The ranking is based not on fear or danger, but on the quality of the verification materials, calculated based on factors such as the transparency of the sources.

Survey methods and evaluation criteria

The content actually written on the rumor page was divided into atomic claims, and compared with independent materials from the local government or facility guide to see if the subject, facts, and polarity were the same. "Consistency" is used when all claims are supported; "Partial consistency" is used when there is both support and unconfirmed support for important specific claims; "Disagreement" is used when there is direct counter-evidence; "Unmeasurable" is used when there is insufficient comparative material; and "New Facts" is used when significant information that changes the understanding of the rumor is confirmed from independent materials, even though a direct comparison is not possible. Matching location or general facility history alone is not considered support for the supernatural phenomenon. The material quality score was evaluated on a total of 100 points, consisting of 30 points for source transparency, 25 points for historical/spatial context, 20 points for safety information, 15 points for recency of information, and 10 points for source transparency of the rumor.

1st Place: Sugano Dam | Partial Match (88 points)

The rumored details

An external rumor page mentions that the Sugano Dam has a high suicide rate and includes hearsay that bodies are sometimes found there during droughts. It also mentions that there have been sightings of a female ghost at Nakanoshima Park, an adjacent facility. On the other hand, the basic information on the same page specifies the completion year as "1966 (Showa 41)," but there are no references to dates or official records for individual strange occurrences or events.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumor is a secondary publication found in an individual article titled "Haunted Spots [Awe-Inducing]," with a posting date of February 4, 2020, and a displayed update date of December 19, 2023. The person who experienced it, the original source of the statement, and the dates of each incident are not indicated, so the original source cannot be confirmed.

• Haunted Spot [Awe-Inducing]: Sugano Dam and Nakanoshima Park(Verification Date: 2026-09-21) — The article states that there are many suicides at Sugano Dam, bodies are sometimes found during droughts, and female ghosts and figures have been sighted at Nakanoshima Park, while the basic information states that it was completed in 1966.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Yamaguchi Prefectural River Division's guide to the Sugano Dam records its location as Nakasukita, Shunan City, on the Nishiki River (part of the Nishiki River system), as a gravity-type concrete dam, and as having been completed in March 1966. Its purpose is flood control, industrial water supply, municipal water supply, and power generation, and it is managed by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Civil Engineering and Construction Department. While it also mentions public toilets and a camping area as park facilities, it does not contain any descriptions confirming the deaths, discovery of bodies, or sightings of female ghosts or figures mentioned on the rumor page.

• Yamaguchi Prefecture River Division: "Kanno Dam"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — The Kanno Dam is described as a gravity-type concrete dam located in Nakasukita, Shunan City, with a completion date of March 1966, a purpose of flood control, industrial water supply, water supply, and power generation, and management under the Yamaguchi Prefectural Department of Civil Engineering and Construction.

Points of agreement/contradictions

Regarding the completion year, the "completed in 1966 (Showa 41)" on the rumor page matches the "March 1966 (Showa 41)" in the prefectural documents. On the other hand, the claim that there are many suicides, which lacks any numerical data, and the sighting of a female ghost in Nakanoshima Park cannot be supported or refuted by the prefectural documents obtained. The existence of the park facilities can be confirmed, but this itself is not used as evidence to support the supernatural occurrences.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
Completed in 1966 (Showa 41)	support	The Yamaguchi Prefectural River Division clearly states the completion date as March 1966 (Showa 41), and the year and subject matter match.	Yamaguchi Prefecture River Division: "Kanno Dam"
There are many suicides.	Unconfirmed	The rumor page lacks information on the number of cases, duration, and references to records, and the prefectural data obtained does not deal with death cases, making comparison impossible.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There have been sightings of a female ghost in Nakanoshima Park.	Unconfirmed	The names of those who experienced the phenomenon, the date and time, and the observation conditions were not provided, and there are no records in the prefectural archives that can confirm or refute the same phenomenon.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

In dark areas around the dam lake, reflections on the water's surface, swaying trees, lights on the opposite shore, and sounds from campers could be perceived as human figures or voices. However, since no on-site measurements have been taken, this remains a plausible hypothesis and cannot be definitively attributed to any individual sightings.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The Yamaguchi Prefecture webpage we checked contains information about the dam's specifications, purpose, management contact details, and park facilities; it does not include comprehensive records of incidents, emergency services, or police reports. Therefore, the mere absence of fatalities does not mean the rumors are false. We were also unable to trace the original testimonies of those who experienced the incident or the date and time of the incident.

Verification results: Partial match

While the tangible and comparable completion year mentioned in the rumors was supported by Yamaguchi Prefecture documents, the core rumors—the number of suicides, the discovery of bodies during droughts, and sightings of a female ghost—could not be confirmed by independent sources. The support was limited to the facility's history, specifically its completion in 1966, and does not mean that the strange occurrences or deaths were corroborated.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	28/30	We were able to clearly separate the rumor page from the Yamaguchi Prefecture River Management Division page and provide the same verification date for each individual URL.
Historical and spatial context	23/25	The completion date, river system, type, purpose, and management classification were confirmed in detail from the prefectural facility records.
Safety information	17/20	By checking the management office and park facilities, we can specify the areas of activity that need to be protected around the dam.
Newness of information	12/15	I checked the updated status of the prefecture's page and the rumor page, but the exact timing of when each rumor originated remains unknown.
Transparency of the source of rumors	8/10	While the individual pages listing the rumored stories, along with their publication and update dates, can be found, the original source and the individuals who experienced them cannot be identified.
total	88/100	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

Do not enter dam management facilities, restricted areas of the dam body, or closed sections. Avoid visiting alone at night or parking on the road. Prioritize information from dam managers regarding water levels and discharges, and observe regulations regarding fire, noise, and litter when using the park.

Map location: The coordinates of the dam body, which were confirmed to be named Sugano Dam, type dam, and located in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, according to Nominatim.

Check the area around Sugano Dam on Google Maps.

2nd Place: Ono Lake (Kotogawa Dam) | Measurement Undetermined (85 points)

The rumored details

An external rumor page, "Ono Lake (Kotogawa Dam)," lists claims that "many people have committed suicide by drowning," "many wartime workers died there," and "the ghost of a girl standing on the lake's surface, laughing, appears." It further claims that those who see her become possessed and have accidents, but the dates, number of people involved, construction records, and individuals who have experienced these events are not provided.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumor was published in a separate article titled "Haunted Spots [Awe-Inducing]" on February 12, 2017, and is displayed as having been updated on September 8, 2023. There are also secondhand accounts that it was featured on local radio, but the original source is unknown as there is no reference to the program name, broadcasting station, or broadcast date.

• Haunted Spot [Awe-inspiring] "Ono Lake (Koto River Dam)"(Verification Date: 2026-09-21) — This post contains rumors that many people have committed suicide by drowning, that many wartime laborers died there, and that the ghost of a laughing girl appears on the lake's surface.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The official guide of Ube City lists the facility corresponding to Lake Ono (Kotogawa Dam) in this article as "Kotogawa Dam (Lake Ono)." Located in Kida, Ube City, it is a gravity-type concrete dam completed in March 1950, and its purpose is said to be flood control, irrigation, water supply, industrial water, and power generation. Canoeing, boating competitions, and bird watching are held on the lakeshore, and a center for environmental education and exchange is also introduced, but there is no mention of deaths, wartime workers, the ghost of a young girl, or accident-inducing incidents, as rumored.

• Kotogawa Dam (Ono Lake) in Ube City(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — The Kotogawa Dam is described as a gravity-type concrete dam completed in March 1950 in Kida, Ube City, and provides information on its purposes, including flood control, irrigation, water supply, industrial water, and power generation, as well as lakeside use.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The three core claims in the rumors do not directly correspond to the completion year, purpose, and natural environment described in the Ube City facility guide. The absence of any mention of fatalities on the official page is not refutation, nor is it a comprehensive record of accidents, so neither support nor contradiction can be definitively established. The fact that it was completed in 1950 alone does not allow us to determine whether construction took place during wartime or whether there were any worker fatalities.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
Many people are committing suicide by drowning.	Unconfirmed	The Ube City data obtained lacks information on the number of people involved, the duration of the incident, and references to individual records, and therefore does not comprehensively cover all records of water-related accidents and deaths.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Many workers died during the war.	Unconfirmed	The rumor page lacks the construction name, date, and number of people involved, and the city's facility overview does not contain any records that allow for comparison of deaths among construction workers.	No official data available for direct comparison.
The ghost of a girl appears, standing on the surface of the lake and laughing.	Unconfirmed	The names of those who experienced the event, the date and time of the incident, the observation location, and the recording medium are not provided, making it impossible to conduct a comparison under the same conditions with independent data.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

On a wide body of water, fog, waves, reflections of moonlight or car lights, and the movement of birds may be visible as distant outlines. Also, sounds from the water's edge tend to echo from the opposite bank or from surrounding forests. However, since the observation date and conditions are not provided, these are general possibilities and not definitive explanations for the specific rumored case.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The Ube City page focuses on tourism, regional development, and facility overviews, and does not include lists of construction workers, wartime construction logs, or police and fire department water accident records. The rumored radio broadcast could not be identified, and no audio, recordings, or observational conditions were available to independently verify individual accounts.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

There is no independent data that allows for direct comparison of the same subjects regarding the number of suicides by drowning, worker deaths during wartime, the ghost of a young girl, and the claims of accidents following sightings. While the existence, purpose, and completion year of the facility can be confirmed from Ube City documents, these do not support the rumored strange occurrences or death cases, nor do they serve as clear counter-evidence.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	28/30	By directly retrieving the individual pages related to the rumors and the official Ube City page, we were able to separate the reference relationships for each claim.
Historical and spatial context	22/25	Based on the city's explanation, we were able to specifically organize the completion date, type, purpose, location, and waterfront usage status.
Safety information	16/20	Based on publicly announced guidelines for lakeside use, we can provide specific warnings focusing on entry restrictions and waterside activities.
Newness of information	11/15	The city's webpage was updated in 2023, but the exact time when the rumor originated and the broadcast date, supposedly on local radio, cannot be determined.
Transparency of the source of rumors	8/10	While the publication and update dates of the rumor page are verifiable, information about the original source and the person who experienced it is missing.
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

On the lakeshore, dam embankment, and maintenance pathways, follow the local fences and signs, and avoid swimming or approaching dangerous slopes. Use officially designated facilities and times for waterside activities, and avoid going out alone at night, unauthorized parking, and approaching wild animals.

Map location: Using the dam body coordinates from the official Yamaguchi Prefecture location map, we confirmed that the location is in Kida, Ube City, by reverse lookup of Nominatim.

Check the area around Ono Lake (Kotogawa Dam) on Google Maps.

3rd Place: The Ruins of Taishakukyo Gorge | Unmeasurable (80 points)

The rumored details

The rumor page mentions that "an old woman in a white kimono is looking out the window" of the ruins in Taishakukyo, and that "at night, you can hear someone whispering" in the surrounding area. Regarding the building, it describes it as "the ruins of a villa on the west bank of the Taishakugawa Dam," noting that it is characterized by its octagonal dome-shaped roof, but it does not provide any administrator documents indicating its former use or records of any paranormal activity.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumor is a secondary publication, appearing in a separate article dated September 16, 2025, in the "Haunted Spots [Awe-Inducing]" section. While the page lists the address as Nagano, Jinsekikogen-cho, it does not provide the name of the witness, the date of the visit, the former owner, or any supporting documents for the claim that it was a vacation home, so its original publication date is unknown.

• Haunted Spot [Awe-Inducing] "The Ruins of Taishakukyo Gorge"(Date of verification: 2026-09-21) — The article describes an old woman in a white kimono at a window, along with voices and footsteps heard in the vicinity, as rumors, and identifies the location as the ruins of a villa with an octagonal roof on the west bank of the Taishakugawa Dam.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Jinseki Kogen Town Tourism Guide describes Taishakukyo as an 18-kilometer-long gorge spanning from Jinseki Kogen Town to Tojo Town in Shobara City. Shinryu Lake is an artificial lake created by the completion of the Taishakugawa Dam in 1924, and the area downstream from the Taishakugawa Dam is designated as Shimo-Taishaku. On the other hand, there is no information about the ruins of Taishakukyo, the address listed on the rumors page, the octagonal roof, its former use, the items inside, or any voices or sightings.

• Jinseki Kogen Town Tourism Guide "Taishakukyo Gorge"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — It describes Taishakukyo Gorge as an 18-kilometer-long gorge spanning from Jinsekikogen Town to Shobara City, and explains that Shinryu Lake is an artificial lake created with the completion of the Taishakugawa Dam in 1924.

Points of agreement/contradictions

While independent sources can confirm the geographical relationship and construction dates of Taishakukyo Gorge, Shinryu Lake, and Taishakugawa Dam, they do not confirm that the building in question is the former villa on the west bank of the dam. There is also no supporting evidence for claims such as an old woman in white, voices, or footsteps. The mere existence of the gorge and dam cannot be considered sufficient to support the building's history or the supernatural occurrences associated with it.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
An old woman in a white kimono is looking at me from the window.	Unconfirmed	There are no witnesses, no record of the visit date and time, no recorded distance, and no observation records that would be useful for tourist information.	No official data available for direct comparison.
At night, you can hear someone talking softly.	Unconfirmed	The date and time of the incident and the source of the sound were not provided, making it impossible to obtain independent measurement data that can be compared under the same location and conditions.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Ruins of a villa on the west bank of the Taishakugawa Dam	Unconfirmed	The administrator's documents describe the geography of Taishakukyo Gorge and the dam, but do not specify the location, former use, or name of the building in question.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

In canyons and along lakeshores, the sounds of wind passing through building openings and trees, reflections from the water surface and the opposite shore, and the sounds of branches and small animals touching each other can all be heard in a complex way. Reflections from windows and differences in brightness can also be potential causes of misidentification of outlines, but their explanatory power for individual rumors remains unevaluated due to the lack of on-site measurements.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The tourist information covers geographical and tourist information about the gorge and Shinryu Lake, and does not contain documents that prove the registration, construction history, former use, or management status of the rumored building. Although the coordinates on the rumor page could be traced back to the Nagano area, the identity and boundaries of the building could not be determined from publicly available documents alone, and an on-site investigation was not included.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

While the broad geographical location of Taishakukyo Gorge and the area around the Taishakugawa Dam could be confirmed, the official name, former use, and relationship to the dam's western bank of the building mentioned in the rumors could not be identified through independent sources. Therefore, it is not possible to support or refute specific claims regarding the building itself, as well as eyewitness accounts, voices, and footsteps.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	26/30	I was able to obtain the rumored individual page and the official local tourist information, but I couldn't find any documents directly related to the building's management.
Historical and spatial context	21/25	While the extent of the gorge, the formation of Lake Shinryu, and its relationship to the Taishakugawa Dam have been clarified, the history of the buildings is lacking.
Safety information	15/20	It can distinguish between publicly accessible tourist areas and buildings of unknown purpose, and provide guidelines for avoiding approaching closed areas.
Newness of information	11/15	The rumor page was published in 2025, but the timing of when the rumor originated and the building's closure date cannot be confirmed.
Transparency of the source of rumors	7/10	While individual URLs and publication dates are clearly provided, the speakers, dates, and transmission routes of each testimony are not recorded.
total	80/100	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

Stay on publicly accessible roads and tourist routes, and do not enter buildings, closed passages, or areas inside fences. Be aware of falling rocks, slips, and sudden weather changes around the canyon, and avoid exploring at night. Always prioritize local road closures and instructions from facility managers.

Map location: Using the publicly available map coordinates from the rumor page, we confirmed that the location is in the Nagano district of Jinsekikogen-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture, via a reverse lookup of Nominatim. These are not coordinates for recreating the building's shape.

Check the area around the ruins of Taishakukyo on Google Maps.

What I learned by crossing locations

In all three locations, the fact that the rumors were posted is different from the fact that the phenomena described therein could be confirmed. At Sugano Dam, only the specific completion date of 1966, which was listed on the rumor page, matched the prefectural documents, resulting in a partial match. At Ono Lake (Kotogawa Dam), there was no direct comparative data for the claims of death and supernatural occurrences, and at the ruins of Taishakukyo, the formal identification of the building in question was not possible, so all were deemed unmeasurable. The existence and location of a facility alone were not counted as evidence of supernatural occurrences.

summary

What we were able to confirm this time was the completion year and official use of the Sugano Dam, the facility overview of Ono Lake (Koto River Dam), and the geographical relationship between Taishakukyo Gorge, Shinryu Lake, and the Taishaku River Dam. No independent records were obtained to support the claims of deaths or paranormal phenomena, and the lack of information in official documents was not used as counter-evidence. In order to update the judgment in the future, construction records, accident records, management documents for the target building, and original testimonies with dates and conditions will be necessary.

FAQ

Does "unmeasurable" mean the rumor is false?

No. It indicates a situation where there is a lack of materials that allow for direct comparison of the subjects, such as the date of occurrence and original testimony, making it impossible to proceed with either supporting or refuting the claim. The mere absence of information on the official page does not constitute a discrepancy.

Were any strange occurrences also confirmed at the Sugano Dam, where some similarities were observed?

The only thing confirmed is the facility's history, which states it was completed in 1966, as also mentioned on the rumors page. No deaths, body discoveries, or sightings of female ghosts could be found in independent sources and are therefore not included in the scope of partial matches.

What should I be aware of if I visit the area?

Stay within the designated areas, restrictions, and operating hours of publicly accessible roads and tourist facilities, and do not enter restricted areas, closed sections, buildings, or private property on the dam. Avoid traveling alone at night and prioritize the latest information from the authorities regarding water levels, discharges, and road closures.

If the documents are updated, will the decision change?

This could change if official records, administrative documents, and original testimonies with dates and times dealing with the same subject and specific claims are made public. When updating, it is also necessary to separate the source of the rumor from independent sources and re-verify them on a claim-by-claim basis.