As a Japanese high school student, you arrive at Okutsugaru Station and sit on a bench to wait for the train. It’s late at night, and the station is eerily quiet. Your put on your headphones and eager to pass the time by drawing in your notebook. You tap the pencil against your against your chin three times and raise your head. ‘Something doesn’t feel right’, you say.
A Tale of Teke Teke
Across the platform, a train arrives and departs swiftly. You briefly glance behind the departing train but quickly returning your attention to your sketchbook. However, something catches your eye, causing you to look up again. In the dimly lit area between the tracks and the station, you squint to see a human figure. Perplexed, you blink a few times, but find nothing around. You dismiss it as a trick of the night and resume your drawing. Not too long after, a faint tapping noise pierces the silence and sends an eerie chill down your spine. ‘Maybe it’s just a mechanical issue at the station or a branch tapping against a wall,’ reassuring yourself. To drown out the unsettling sound, you increase the volume on the headphones and focus on the artwork in hand.
Leaning back and pushing the notebook away, you inspect your drawing. There’s a small smudge in the artwork so you squint to examine the details and you feel startled when something appears in your peripheral vision behind the sketchbook – a blurry, white figure with a hint of blue and red. You freeze, your heart starts pounding, and you’re trembling too much to put down the sketchbook. You blink, the figure vanishes. Suddenly, you enter a state of panic. You hastily gathers your belongings and rush towards the nearest station exit. As your running, an ominous sound could be heard – “teke… teke… teke… teke.” Fearfully, you decide to turn around to see what’s making the noise.
There, on the station floor, you see a girl in a school uniform, her body twisted and grotesque. She drags herself with her hands and elbows, her lower half missing. You can hardly find your voice as the girl utters, “Have… you… seen… my… legs?” The eerie “teke… teke” sounds continues as the girl approaches you. Terrified, you make a desperate run for the exit, your adrenaline surging. But suddenly, your legs betray you, rendering you unable to move. You let out a scream.
The Origin
Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend traces its origins to the late 20th century with the introduction of the Shinkansen train. It is a frightening tale that has passed down through oral tradition centered around the vengeful spirit of a young woman who met a tragic and horrifying end. There are variations in the details of the story, but the core elements remain consistent.
According to the legend, Teke Teke was once a young woman who fell onto a railway track. Whether she fell accidentally, was pushed, or became the victim of a sinister prank, her life took a horrifying turn when she was tragically cut in half at the waist by an oncoming train (most stories revolve around the Shinkansen), leaving her with only her upper torso and arms.
The name ‘Teke Teke’ derives from the unsettling sound produced as she drags her upper body across the ground using her elbows and arms. Her restless spirit roams urban areas near train stations, particularly after dark, in relentless pursuit of her missing lower half. When encountering unsuspecting individuals, she poses unsettling questions, such as inquiring about the whereabouts of her legs or the importance of one’s own legs, and even her name. Should she ask who informed you of her, the correct response is ‘Kashima Reiko.’ Those who respond incorrectly or attempt to flee will face gruesome consequences, as she wields a deadly scythe, ready to inflict dismemberment and death.
Teke Teke is a cautionary tale to discourage youngsters from playing near train tracks. It is also a popular ghost story to tell around campfires or during sleepovers in Japan, designed to petrify and thrill young listeners.