The cursed poem

Tomino’s Hell is a famed poem by Yaso Saijo. Written in 1919 after Saijo lost his family during World War I, the verse tells the story of a child who descends into hell and includes frightening and disturbing imagery.

The beginning reads:

''Elder sister vomited blood, younger sister vomited fire and the cute Tomino vomited glass beads. Tomino Fell into Hell alone.''

Although Saijo left interpretation to the reader, it’s believed to be about a child who murdered their parents. In the poem, Tomino descends to the lowest levels of Buddhist hell, reserved for those who murder their parents. Others interpret the poem as about war or child abuse.

Regardless of its true meaning, people have claimed the poem causes headaches, illness and even death if the complete poem is read aloud. In 1974, director Terama Shuji released a movie based on Tomino’s Hell, Den-en ni shisu (Pastoral: To Die in the Country). The director later died due to liver disease, sparking rumors about the poem.

However, the likely catalyst for this urban legend was in 2004, when author Yomota Inuhiko wrote Kokoro wa Korogaru Ishi no you ni (My Heart is Like a Stone Rolling Around) based on Tomino’s Hell. There, Inuhiko wrote, “If you by chance happen to read this poem out loud, you will suffer from a terrible fate which you cannot escape.”

''Are there any other scary Japanese urban legends you know of that we missed? Let us know in the comments! This article was written in collaboration with Erika Van t’ Veld. It was updated on August 11, 2021.''