, also spelled ''Teke-Teke'', ''Teketeke'', or ''Teke teke'', is a

Japanese urban legend A is a story in Japanese folklore which is 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 ...

about the ghost of a schoolgirl who is said to have fallen onto a railway line, where her body was cut in half by a train. She is an ''

onryō In Japanese traditional beliefs and literature, are a type of ghost () believed to be capable of causing harm in the world of the living, injuring or killing enemies, or even causing natural disasters to exact vengeance to "redress" the wron ...

'', or a

vengeful spirit In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crem ...

, who lurks in urban areas and around train stations at night. Since she no longer has a lower body, she travels on either her hands or elbows, dragging her upper torso and making a scratching or "''teke teke''"-like sound. If she encounters an individual, she will chase them and slice them in half at the torso, killing them in such a way that mimics her own disfigurement, Some say that Teke Teke only steals her victim's legs; in certain variations, ''Teke Teke'' will ask the individual to tell her the location of her missing legs.

Overview

Common elements of the legend include that ''Teke Teke'' is the

vengeful ghost In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crema ...

or spirit (also known as an ''

'') of a young woman or schoolgirl who fell on a railway line, which resulted in her being sliced in half by a train. Missing her lower extremities, she is said to walk on her hands or her elbows, making a scratching or "''teke teke''"-like sound as she moves. If an individual encounters ''Teke Teke'' at night, she will chase them and cut their body in half (often with a

scythe A scythe ( ) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. It is historically used to cut down or reap edible grains, before the process of threshing. The scythe has been largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor m ...

), mimicking her own death and disfigurement. One version of the story concerns a young woman known as Kashima Reiko. As with the original iteration of the legend, Kashima died when her legs were severed from her body by a train after she fell on the tracks. According to some sources, some versions of the legend state that, when an individual learns of Kashima's story, she will appear to them within one month. The "Kashima Reiko" story predates that of ''Teke Teke''. The legless spirit of Kashima Reiko is said to haunt bathroom stalls, asking occupants if they know where her legs are. If a questioned individual replies with an answer that Kashima does not find acceptable, she will rip or cut their legs off. Individuals may survive the encounter by replying that her legs are on the

Meishin Expressway The , or Nagoya-Kōbe Expressway is a toll expressway in Japan. It runs from a junction with the Tōmei Expressway in Komaki, Aichi (outside Nagoya) west to Nishinomiya, Hyōgo (between Osaka and Kobe). It is the main road link between Osaka and ...

, or by responding with the phrase "''kamen shinin ma''", or "mask death demon" (which may be the phonetic root of Kashima's name). The legend of Kashima Reiko has been described as a "bathroom-centric variation" of ''Teke Teke.''

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