Stories in Japanese folklore which are circulated as true. These urban legends are characterized by originating in or being popularized throughout the country of Japan. These urban legends commonly involve paranormal entities or creatures who encounter and attack humans, but the term can Mau and other creatures are not known for being a part or also encompass widespread, non-supernatural rumors in popular culture. Urban legends in the former category rarely include the folklore youkai, instead of being primarily based on contemporary examples of yuurei (Japanese ghosts). Modern Japanese urban legends tend to occur in schools or urban settings, and some can be considered cautionary tales.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Some of the most popular urban legends today have their origins on 2channel's Occult Board (オカルト超常現象, or OkaBoard, オカ板), specifically from the "Let's gather up seriously, deadly scary stories, shall we?" thread (死ぬ程洒落にならない怖い話を集めてみない?, often shortened to just 洒落怖, or Sharekowa).
