Hanako-san

Subject: Hanako-san Tue May 18, 2010 10:59 pm

Hanako-san, terror of the toilet

It is not uncommon for schools to have a toilet permanently occupied by the mysterious girl, who is known in Japanese as Toire no Hanako-san (lit. “Hanako of the toilet”). She is often found in the third stall in the restroom on the third floor — usually the girls’ room — but this can vary from school to school. Details about her physical appearance also vary, but she is usually described as having bobbed hair and wearing a red skirt.
Hanako-san’s behavior also varies according to location, but in most cases, she remains holed up in the bathroom until an adventurous student dares to provoke her. Hanako-san can be conjured up by knocking on the door to her stall (usually three times), calling her name, and asking a particular question. The most common question is simply “Are you there, Hanako-san?” If Hanako-san is indeed present, she says in a faint voice, “Yes, I’m here.” Some stories claim that anyone courageous enough to open the door at this point is greeted by a little girl in a red skirt and then pulled into the toilet.

Details about Hanako-san’s origins are murky. Although she became a national phenomenon in the 1980s, there is speculation that she has existed since the 1950s. Some stories claim she is the ghost of a WWII-era girl who died in a bombing raid on the school while she was playing hide-and-seek. Other stories claim she is the restless spirit of a young girl who met her end at the hands of an abusive or deranged parent (or a perverted stranger, according to some stories) who found her hiding in the bathroom. In some cases, she is the ghost of a former student who died in an unfortunate accident at the school (one story from Fukushima prefecture, for example, claims she is the ghost of a girl who fell out of the library window).

The rest continues at the link.
The pictures alone make the link worth clicking.
Cultural differences in phantoms,ghosts and apparitions are pretty interesting reading.

Subject: Re: Hanako-san Tue May 18, 2010 11:31 pm

Kinda reminds me of Bloody Mary.

Subject: Re: Hanako-san Wed May 19, 2010 4:24 am

Japanese Moaning Myrtle!

Subject: Re: Hanako-san Wed May 19, 2010 6:18 am

I would be one of those girls that would hid in the stall just to scare others.