CONNECT TRAVEL
IN SEARCH Of
SPIRITS Exploring Haunted Niigata “Lupin” Van de Voorde (Niigata)
Wandering through an overgrown garden path, I suddenly heard a loud thud of something heavy, like a body, impacting the ground. My body froze up as I waited, holding my breath for the next sound. Then—approaching footsteps. I was not alone. I ran—across the entire expanse of the abandoned theme park. Scrambling over loose rocks, I made it to the treeline and fumbled for my flashlight as the canopy blocked the last light of the setting sun. I could hear only the pounding of my feet against the ground, the dry heaving of my breath against my rib-cage, the strong pounding of my heartbeat. Now, I bet you’re wondering how I got here. Halloween has always been my favorite time of year. Building up to it, I asked my students for advice about yabai spots, or haunts, that I could explore in my area. 94 |
For homework, I split them into groups and asked them to tell me about scary local places. I thought it would be a really fun way to engage with them and motivate them to speak to me. Also, I wanted the rush of exploring something a bit taboo. As I listened to their presentations, one location in particular stood out to me: the “white house.” The students told tales of a ghost haunting an old house, and different versions of the story began to emerge: in some versions, a girl set fire to the house her parents imprisoned her in and ran away. In another version, the housekeeper died. In others, there is more death, by more violent means. Although the stories were different, the hushed tone of fear and excitement in my students’ voices was the same. Whatever the reason, this was a blighted place. I knew I had to check it out.
