For three locations in Shikoku associated with buildings or old structures, we compared information from external rumor-sharing websites with records from local government and public databases on a claim-by-claim basis. We distinguished between the facts of the rumors and the actual existence of the supernatural phenomena, and only considered comparisons based on available data, such as the year of establishment, geography, age of the buildings, and origin of the legends.
Survey methods and evaluation criteria
Specific dates, uses, geography, structure, and supernatural occurrences were extracted from the rumor pages as atomic claims and compared with independent official and public sources. "Agreement" is used when all claims are supported by the same subject, facts, and polarity; "Partial agreement" is used when supported claims and unconfirmed claims coexist; "Disagreement" is used when official records directly indicate different facts; and "Unmeasurable" is used when there are no directly comparable sources. "New Facts" is used only when a direct comparison is not possible, but a meaningful structure, history, or tradition not present in the rumor can be confirmed in independent sources. Partial agreement does not mean confirmation of the supernatural occurrence, and location or general history alone is not considered to support the supernatural occurrence. Rankings and scores are based on a quality evaluation of the source, with 30 points for source transparency, 25 points for historical/spatial context, 20 points for safety information, 15 points for freshness of information, and 10 points for source transparency of the rumor, and do not reflect the level of fear or truthfulness of the supernatural occurrence.
| Rank | point | The main points of the rumor | judgement | Document quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokushima Central Park | The rumor page described Tokushima Central Park as "developed using the site of Tokushima Castle" and "established in 1906," and then added, "The sound of a wet woman sobbing can be heard from the moat," and "At night, public restrooms..." | Partial match | 91/100 |
| 2 | Osaka Pass | The rumor page describes the Osaka Pass, located on the border between Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures, as a place where "unmanned cars chase you at night," "a headless rider has been sighted," and "a female ghost is standing by the roadside..." | Partial match | 87/100 |
| 3 | Jōrokuji Temple | A rumor page compiling ghost stories from Tokushima City notes that regarding Jōroku-ji Temple, "rumors concerning a male ghost can be found." It also states, "Temples are places where a strong sense of history and memorial services remains, making them conducive to ghost stories..." | New facts | 84/100 |
1st Place: Tokushima Central Park | Partial Match (91 points)
The rumored details
The rumor page describes Tokushima Central Park as "developed using the site of Tokushima Castle" and "established in 1906," and then includes claims such as "the sound of a wet woman sobbing can be heard from the moat" and "the ghost of a blood-soaked woman stands in the public toilet at night." There are also descriptions related to the incident, but these could not be confirmed in the Tokushima City documents obtained, so they are treated only as claims made by the rumor page.
Source of the rumor and date of verification
We have confirmed the individual article about Tokushima Central Park, published by Shinrei Kosaku on August 17, 2025, as an example of secondary publication. The article definitively describes the strange occurrences and the background of the incident, but it does not provide external links to the original posts of each experience or to the incident records, so the origin of the rumors is unknown.
- Paranormal Investigation: "Tokushima Central Park | Rumored Ghost Stories"(Date confirmed: 2026-09-21) — Tokushima Central Park is described as a historical park utilizing the site of Tokushima Castle, and then lists paranormal phenomena such as sobbing in the moat and the ghost of a woman in a public restroom.
Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials
The Tokushima City facility management page records the location of Tokushima Central Park as 1 Jōnai, Tokushima-cho, Tokushima City, and its opening date as January 9, 1906. It is a park established on the site of the former castle of Lord Hachisuka, the lord of the Tokushima domain, and it can be confirmed that the Tokushima Castle ruins were designated a national historical site on January 26, 2006, and that there are five toilets in the park. On the other hand, there is no mention of sobbing or the ghost of a woman.
- Tokushima City Official Website "Tokushima Central Park"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — The location is 1 Jōnai, Tokushima-cho, Tokushima City, and the opening date is January 9, 1906. It is described as a park established on the site of the former castle of Lord Hachisuka, the former lord of the Tokushima domain.
Points of agreement/contradictions
The statement "established in 1906" matches the Tokushima City record of January 9, 1906, and "developed using the Tokushima Castle site" is supported by the history of its establishment on the site of the former feudal lord's castle. On the other hand, no records directly comparable to the sobbing in the moat and the female ghost in the public toilet could be found in Tokushima City documents. Only the park's establishment date and origin were supported; these were not supernatural occurrences.
| The rumored atomic claim | Matching results | reason | Corresponding documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development using the Tokushima Castle ruins | support | The park is clearly stated to be one established by Tokushima City on the site of the former castle of Lord Hachisuka, the lord of the Tokushima domain, and its target audience and intended use are consistent. | Tokushima City Official Website "Tokushima Central Park" |
| Established in 1906 | support | The founding date of Tokushima City, January 9, Meiji 39, corresponds to 1906 AD, which specifically supports the claim of that year. | Tokushima City Official Website "Tokushima Central Park" |
| The sound of a wet woman sobbing can be heard from the moat. | Unconfirmed | The Tokushima City documents obtained describe the history and facilities of the park, and do not directly record or verify this sound phenomenon. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
| A blood-soaked female ghost stands in a public restroom at night. | Unconfirmed | While it can be confirmed that there are five toilets, the mere existence of the location does not support the alternative claim that it is the site of a female ghost. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
Alternative interpretation
The sound of water in the moat, sound reflections from trees and buildings, and reduced visibility at night could serve as alternative explanations for experiences perceived as voices or figures. However, since acoustics and illuminance were not measured on-site, the specific causes of individual experiences cannot be identified.
Scope and limitations of the investigation
The scope of verification was limited to rumor articles and the Tokushima City facility management page, and did not include investigation records of the incidents mentioned in the rumor articles, original news articles from the time, or interviews with individual witnesses. The mere absence of any mention of the supernatural occurrences on the official page was not used as proof of their absence or falsehood.
Verification results: Partial match
The specific history of the park, stating that it was established in 1906 on the site of the former Tokushima Castle, is supported by independent Tokushima City documents. However, the core claims of sobbing and a female ghost remain unconfirmed. This partial agreement only reflects the historical facts and does not constitute a judgment supporting the existence of paranormal phenomena.
Document Quality Score
| Source transparency | 28/30 | The individual articles about the rumors and the facility management pages of Tokushima City can be directly retrieved and linked to each claim. |
|---|---|---|
| Historical and spatial context | 24/25 | The date of establishment, its history as a former castle site, and its designation as a national historical site can all be confirmed through local government records. |
| Safety information | 18/20 | The location, parking hours, closing periods, and park facilities are all listed in detail on the administrator's page. |
| Newness of information | 14/15 | The Tokushima City page was updated on May 19, 2026, and can be used as facility information as of the date of verification. |
| Transparency of the source of rumors | 7/10 | While rumors are elaborated on individual pages, there is a lack of traceability to the original posts of personal accounts or to the incident records. |
| total | 91/100 | 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
Check the Tokushima City website for park hours and parking lot closure periods, and avoid conducting solo nighttime surveys, approaching the moat, and causing inconvenience to other facility users. Prioritize restricted access, guidance from park administrators, and on-site safety equipment even within the park.
Map location: This is a representative coordinate showing the park boundaries of Tokushima Central Park, not the entrance locations of individual facilities.
Check the area around Tokushima Central Park on Google Maps.
2nd Place: Osaka Pass | Partial Match (87 points)
The rumored details
The rumor page lists stories about the Osaka Pass, located on the border between Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures, including reports of "unmanned cars chasing people at night," "sightings of a headless rider," and "a female ghost standing by the roadside." It also cites the numerous fatalities and accidents during the road's construction as the background for these strange occurrences, but provides no sources to support these claims on the page.
Source of the rumor and date of verification
The individual page for Osaka Pass on the National Haunted Map was examined as an example of secondary publication. The page is dated March 5, 2026, and is a user-submitted format including votes and comments. The first appearance, sighting date, and original witness for each paranormal phenomenon could not be identified, so it is treated as having an unknown first appearance.
- Nationwide Haunted Map: "Osaka Pass"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — There are rumors that if you drive up this mountain pass at night, an unmanned car will chase you, a headless rider has been sighted, and a female ghost has been seen standing by the roadside.
Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials
The press release from Higashikagawa City identifies Osaka Pass as part of the Osaka Pass Park within the Setonaikai National Park, located on the border between Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures, noting that the observation deck offers views of the Seto Inland Sea and that it is a paragliding flight area. The Higashikagawa City document further clarifies the legend that Minamoto no Yoshitsune passed through Osaka Pass as a historical context for tourism. There is no mention of unmanned vehicles, headless riders, female ghosts, or construction worker casualties.
- Higashikagawa City Press Release: "Osaka Pass Observation Deck"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — Osaka Pass, with its observation deck overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, is part of the Osaka Pass Park, a section of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, and is located on the border between Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures. It is known as a paragliding flight area, and on clear days, you can even see Honshu from this spot. It is also said to be a place that Minamoto no Yoshitsune passed through.
Points of agreement/contradictions
The geographical claim that the location is on the prefectural border is supported by the descriptions in Higashikagawa City documents, which state "the border between this city and Tokushima Prefecture" and "the border between Kagawa Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture." On the other hand, the unmanned car, the headless rider, and the female ghost remain unconfirmed as there are no official records that can be directly compared. The fact that it is on the prefectural border, as can be seen from official documents, does not support these strange occurrences.
| The rumored atomic claim | Matching results | reason | Corresponding documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Pass, located on the border between Tokushima and Kagawa Prefectures | support | Documents from Higashikagawa City clearly state that the Osaka Pass Park is located on the border between Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures. | Higashikagawa City Press Release: "Osaka Pass Observation Deck" |
| An unmanned car is chasing me. | Unconfirmed | The municipal data obtained describes the geography and landscape, and does not include records of the tracked unmanned vehicles. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
| I witnessed a headless rider. | Unconfirmed | The date and time of the sighting and the original witness could not be traced from the rumor page, and there are no records in official documents that can be directly compared. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
| A female ghost was standing by the side of the road. | Unconfirmed | While the existence of the prefectural border and the observation deck can be confirmed, this does not constitute evidence supporting the claim that it is the ghost of a woman by the roadside. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
Alternative interpretation
On mountain roads at night, headlights around curves, reflections from the road surface and guardrails, shadows from fog and trees, and changes in perspective can all appear to resemble vehicles or people. However, since local illumination, traffic volume, and weather conditions have not been measured, this does not fully explain individual sightings.
Scope and limitations of the investigation
The official document reviewed was a Higashikagawa City tourism press release dated April 30, 2026. The investigation did not include individual records of road construction ledgers, industrial accident records, or traffic accident statistics. The inability to confirm construction fatalities or frequent accidents is a limitation of the available data and does not constitute a discrepancy.
Verification results: Partial match
While the specific geographical claim that Osaka Pass is located on the border between Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures was supported by local government documents, the claims of supernatural occurrences such as a pursuing unmanned vehicle, a headless rider, and a female ghost remain unconfirmed. Therefore, the judgment is partially consistent, but the agreement is limited to geography and does not indicate the occurrence of supernatural events or construction fatalities.
Document Quality Score
| Source transparency | 27/30 | By directly obtaining the individual pages related to the rumors and the publicly released documents from Higashikagawa City, it is possible to separate the geographical claims from the supernatural phenomena. |
|---|---|---|
| Historical and spatial context | 22/25 | Multiple contexts can be confirmed in local government documents, including the prefectural border, the park within the national park, the scenic views, and the legend of Yoshitsune. |
| Safety information | 17/20 | While the location can be identified as a mountain pass and an observation deck, official documents do not provide details about nighttime traffic or traffic restrictions. |
| Newness of information | 13/15 | The official document is dated April 30, 2026, and the rumor page also shows an update date of March 5, 2026. |
| Transparency of the source of rumors | 8/10 | While the types of supernatural occurrences are specific, the voting and submission format makes it impossible to trace back to original testimonies, dates of occurrence, or evidence of construction worker fatalities. |
| total | 87/100 | 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 winding or undulating mountain roads, avoid stopping for paranormal purposes, exploring on foot at night, or taking photographs on the road. Check the weather, visibility, road restrictions, and available parking locations in advance, and do not obstruct passing vehicles or local users.
Map Location: The coordinates of the Osaka Pass Observatory shown on the official tourism page are used as the guide point for Osaka Pass.
3rd Place: Jōrokuji Temple | New Facts (84 points)
The rumored details
A rumor page compiling ghost stories from Tokushima City states that there are "rumors concerning a male ghost" regarding Jōroku-ji Temple. It also explains that "temples tend to be associated with ghost stories because they retain a strong sense of history and memorial services," but it does not specify the date and time of the sighting, the building where the phenomenon occurred, or the original witness.
Source of the rumor and date of verification
I checked the Tokushima City summary article on PicoPico News as an example of secondary publication. The article was published on June 2, 2026, and updated on June 4 of the same year, and introduces Jōrokuji Temple as one of several locations. The description only states "on the internet," and the original page where the rumor of a male ghost first appeared and the primary testimony are unknown.
- PicoPico News: "Haunted Spots in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — Jōrokuji Temple is a temple located in Jōroku-chō, Tokushima City, and there are rumors circulating online about a male ghost. Temples tend to be associated with ghost stories because they retain a strong sense of history and memorial services.
Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials
The Agency for Cultural Affairs' Cultural Heritage Online lists the Jōroku-ji Temple's main gate as a religious building located in Jōroku-chō, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, and records it as a late Muromachi period structure, a three-bay, three-door, two-story, double-tiered gate, with a hipped roof, tiled roofing, and designated as an Important Cultural Property. The Agency for Cultural Affairs' database also identifies the Jōroku-ji Temple's main gate as a late Muromachi period, three-bay, three-door, two-story, double-tiered gate, and records its designation as an Important Cultural Property on March 31, 1953. This is specific material history not found on the rumor page.
- Cultural Heritage Online: "Jōrokuji Temple Sanmon Gate"(Confirmed on 2026-09-21) — Regarding the Jōroku-ji Temple's main gate: "Late Muromachi period / 1467-1572
It is described as a "three-bay, three-door, two-story, double-story gate with a hipped roof and tiled roof," and is a designated Important Cultural Property located in Jōroku-chō, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, with a date of designation as an Important Cultural Property of March 31, 1953.
Points of agreement/contradictions
The core of the rumor page is a male ghost and an explanation that temples in general are easily associated with ghost stories. Public databases record the age, structure, location, and cultural property designation of the main gate, but there are no records that allow for a causal relationship with the male ghost or ghost stories. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether there is a match, partial match, or mismatch regarding the supernatural occurrences.
| The rumored atomic claim | Matching results | reason | Corresponding documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are rumors about a male ghost. | Unconfirmed | The rumor article lacks details such as the date and time of the sighting, the specific building, and references to the original testimony, and there are no records in official documents that directly correspond to it. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
| Temples, being places imbued with a strong sense of history and memorial services, tend to be easily associated with ghost stories. | Unconfirmed | While cultural property records indicate the construction date and style, they are not materials that verify a causal relationship between temples in general and ghost stories. | No official data available for direct comparison. |
Alternative interpretation
While the old wooden architecture, dimly lit grounds, and quiet environment may contribute to heightened psychological tension, these measurements do not specifically explain the male ghost described at Jōroku-ji Temple. The historical significance of the site as a cultural property and the claims of supernatural occurrences should be treated as separate issues.
Scope and limitations of the investigation
The only rumor we were able to confirm was one city-wide summary article, and we were unable to track down the specific sighting location, date and time, or full testimony. The official documents are records of cultural heritage buildings and are not intended for investigating phenomena. The fact that there is no evidence of supernatural occurrences in the documents does not mean that the rumor is false or nonexistent.
Verification results: New facts
There are no independent records supporting or refuting the claim of a male spirit, making a direct comparison impossible. On the other hand, while the rumor page vaguely mentions the temple's historical significance, we were able to confirm the specific material history of the main gate—its age, architectural style, and designation as an important cultural property—through public databases. Therefore, this is not proof of a supernatural occurrence, but rather new facts that supplement our understanding of the rumor.
Document Quality Score
| Source transparency | 25/30 | I'm directly obtaining and comparing city-wide news articles with individual cultural property pages from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. |
|---|---|---|
| Historical and spatial context | 24/25 | The date, structure, location, and designation date of the Sanmon gate can all be determined using public databases. |
| Safety information | 14/20 | While respect for the temple and avoidance of unauthorized entry can be clearly stated, official documents do not cover visiting guidelines or local regulations. |
| Newness of information | 14/15 | The rumor article was updated in June 2026, and the public database was also directly verified on the day of the check to confirm its availability. |
| Transparency of the source of rumors | 7/10 | While the content of the rumor can be identified, it's not possible to trace back to the original source or testimony of the story about a male ghost from the city's summary articles. |
| 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
Jōroku-ji Temple is a place of worship and cultural heritage. Please refrain from nighttime visits for the purpose of paranormal investigation, unauthorized entry, contact with buildings, and disruptive photography that may interfere with worship. When visiting, please prioritize the instructions of the on-site visitor guide and the administrator.
Map location: This is a representative coordinate indicating the center of the entire temple grounds, and does not indicate the entrance to the temple or the parking area itself.
What I learned by crossing locations
What the three locations have in common is that while their historical significance and the darkness of nighttime are linked to explanations for the strange occurrences, the official documents only record verifiable facts such as the opening date, geography, architectural style, and cultural property designation. The partial similarities between Tokushima Central Park and Osaka Pass are based solely on the facts of their establishment dates, castle ruin origins, and prefectural borders, respectively, and do not support the strange occurrences. At Jōroku-ji Temple, a direct comparison of the strange occurrences was not possible, but the specific structure of the main gate and the designation records were revealed as material history not mentioned in the rumors.
summary
While we were able to confirm the opening year and origin of Tokushima Central Park, and the geographical location of Osaka Pass (on the border between Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures) through independent sources, we could not confirm any spirits or unusual phenomena at each location. At Jōroku-ji Temple, there was no data to compare with a male spirit, but we were able to obtain specific historical information that the main gate is a late Muromachi period building designated as an important cultural property. It is necessary to continue to distinguish between the facts of the places where rumors take place and the claims that strange occurrences occurred there.
FAQ
Does "partially matching" mean that paranormal phenomena were confirmed?
No. The partial matches in this case refer only to verifiable facts listed on the rumor page, such as the year of establishment, the origin of the castle ruins, and the prefectural border. Supernatural phenomena such as ghosts, voices, and unmanned vehicles have not been confirmed, and the partial matches cannot be interpreted as evidence of such phenomena.
Are these new facts world-first discoveries or proof of supernatural phenomena?
No. The new fact here is that we have confirmed the age, structure, and cultural property designation of the Sanmon gate, which were not mentioned on the rumor page we referenced, through official documents. This is not a declaration of a new discovery, nor proof of a male spirit.
If I go to the location, can I verify the truth of the rumors?
The truthfulness of rumors cannot be determined from a single visit or nighttime exploration. Roads, parks, and temples must prioritize management regulations and safety, and unauthorized entry, dangerous parking, and disruption of worship must be avoided. If the information is updated, it should be re-verified based on the same claim.
How to read this article and safety precautions
" [2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Paranormal Rumors about Abandoned Buildings and Structures in Shikoku This is an article compiled by the Horror Tales File editorial team as a story, based on publicly available information, rumors circulating in the community, and information submitted by readers. It does not definitively state the authenticity of paranormal phenomena.
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