Hey guys. I'm your host, Tara A. Devlin, and welcome to another episode of Kowabana,

true Japanese scary stories from around the internet. Happy New Year!

I hope you picked up your copy of Dei Khan, the most haunted locations in Japan, for some terrifying

reading over the holidays.

New Year's is, of course, one of the biggest holidays in Japan, and to celebrate the first episode of 2019,

we have two terrifying stories for you. If you think of cursed boxes, what's the first thing

that comes to mind? If you're a Japanese creepypasta fan, chances are good that you'll think of the dreaded

Kotori Bako, a story we covered on Koabana last year.

On this episode, we're going to be looking at two more cursed boxes, because the story

of the Kotori Bako was so large and so influential that it spawned its own genre of cursed box stories.

The first cursed box story we're going to be looking at this week is called

Geho Baco.

During the spring of my first year at university, I went on a bike tour with my local bike store. Our goal was Kodokuro Hot Spring, just a short distance before Mount Odaiga Harah in Nara.

Head of the line was veteran Taki-san.

Behind him was Kenta, who had two years of touring experience.

Kenta wanted to be the lead, but the organizers wanted someone who could lead with a a decent but not too fast pace, so he was

rejected. Several of the tour members were elderly, so I suggested they just let Kenta go on ahead,

but again they refused. He'll get carried away, they claimed.

It was decided that I would hold up the rear of the tour, riding at the end of the line.

I had been to the Yamabatoyu hot spring near our goal several times before, so of course

I knew all the brake spots along the way.

I wasn't too worried if the tour got a little ahead of me.

...