The Legend of Iromuji Village

There were three best friends who shared an odd coincidence—they all had the same first name. Well, almost. Mia, Maya, and Mei had been inseparable since college. After years of grinding away at work, they finally decided to reward themselves with a trip.

Where to? Japan, of course.

But they weren’t interested in just cherry blossoms and shopping streets. Nope. They were all thrill-seekers. The kind of girls who would binge-watch horror movies and laugh while everyone else was screaming.

So when Maya stumbled across an online post about an abandoned village called Iromuji, they knew they had to go.

The Legend of Iromuji Village

Iromuji was said to be cursed. A place forgotten by time, deep in the forests of Fukushima Prefecture. The rumor went:

“Once you enter, you either never leave… or you leave as someone else.”

Most locals refused to talk about it. Those who did, spoke in whispers.

But Mia shrugged.

“Urban legends are made to be broken.”

The Journey Begins

One cold, foggy afternoon, the three friends rented a small van and drove up winding mountain roads. The GPS cut out halfway. Maya joked,

“Classic horror movie move, huh?”

They all laughed. Nervously.

Eventually, they found a dirt path leading into a thick forest. A rusty metal gate stood crooked at the entrance.

A faded sign hung there, swaying in the wind.

「ようこそ色無地村へ」

Maya translated:

"Welcome to Iromuji Village."

Mia pushed the gate open. It groaned like something alive.

Inside the Village

Past the gate, the air grew colder. Their breath fogged in front of them as they walked past broken-down houses. Windows were shattered. Doors hung from rusty hinges. Everything was silent, except for the sound of their boots crunching on old gravel.

Suddenly, Mei stopped.

"Do you guys hear that?"

A faint sound, like someone… whispering. But they saw no one.

Then Maya pointed.

In the center of the village was an old well. The wood around it was rotting, and there were long red streaks, like something… or someone… had been dragged there.

Mei, always the brave one, leaned over the edge of the well.

"Hello—?"

Her voice echoed down, then…

A whisper came back.

"Kaere…"

(“Go back…”)

Run. Now.

Suddenly, something cold grabbed Mei’s wrist. She screamed and jerked back.

Maya shone her flashlight down the well and saw a pale, white face, wet hair covering its features, but the mouth…

It was open. Way too wide.

Whispering again.

"Kaere…"

But this time, it was louder.

And then it started climbing.

Mia grabbed her friends, screaming:

"RUN!"

The three of them ran as fast as they could, but the thing was following them. They could hear the sound of wet dragging footsteps behind them.

At one point, Mei felt fingers—cold, bony fingers—grab the back of her jacket. She screamed, kicked wildly, and somehow broke free.

They burst through the rusty gate and didn’t stop until they reached their van.

Back Home… Or Not?

Weeks later, back in their apartment, things were… off. Mei kept waking up at exactly 3:33 a.m. every night.

Maya’s reflection in the mirror sometimes didn’t move when she did.

And Mia? She found strange messages on her phone.

Just one word, over and over again.

"Kaere."

But…

They were already home.

Weren’t they?

Would you walk through that gate?

「ようこそ色無地村へ」

Welcome to Iromuji Village.

But once you enter…

You might never leave.