The Legend of the Eight-Foot Woman: Japan’s Terrifying Child-Stealing Spirit
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| Hachishaku-sama |
The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets still glistened like black glass. Neon light pooled in the puddles, reflecting a blur of kanji signs and flickering shop lamps. It was late — too late for most — and the only sound was the tap-tap-tap of your shoes on the wet pavement.
That’s when you notice her.
At first, she’s just another figure in the mist — long, dark hair hanging over her shoulders, a pale coat trailing almost to the ground. She’s walking ahead of you, but something’s off. Every time you close the distance, she seems… taller.
You glance away for only a second, and when you look back, your stomach twists. Her legs are impossibly long, her head nearly brushing the paper lanterns strung between buildings. Eight feet, maybe more — and she’s still growing.
Your breath catches. Your legs won’t move. The woman’s head tilts slowly, unnaturally, until she’s staring right at you.
You’ve just met the Eight-Foot Woman.
What Is the Eight-Foot Woman?
Known in Japanese as Hachishaku-sama — literally “Eight Shaku Woman,” with shaku being an old Japanese unit of measurement — she’s a towering female spirit said to stalk children and sometimes lone adults. Depending on the region, she may appear anywhere from 7’5” to over 8 feet tall, always impossibly slender, with long black hair and a flowing white dress or robe.
Her presence is often announced by a distinctive sound: “po… po… po…” — a hollow, mechanical echo like a faraway voice calling in a strange rhythm. In some versions, it’s said to be a corrupted form of laughter.
Despite her eerie stillness, she moves fast — unnaturally so — and once she’s set her eyes on someone, she follows them relentlessly, sometimes for days.
Origins of the Legend
While Hachishaku-sama has gained much of her current fame from internet stories and creepypasta retellings, her roots stretch deeper into Japanese ghost lore. She shares traits with traditional yōkai — supernatural beings — such as onna spirits (vengeful women) and yama-uba (mountain crones) who lure travelers to their doom.
The earliest references to a giant woman-like spirit appear in rural accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Farmers told of a pale, elongated woman seen near shrines, abandoned houses, or the edges of rice fields. Her arrival was often followed by the disappearance of a child.
By the 1970s, oral retellings in certain prefectures merged these accounts into a more cohesive figure: a tall, white-clad woman who targeted youth, moving from village to village like a slow-moving storm.
Some folklorists suggest that Hachishaku-sama may have been a regional variation of older fertility or harvest deities whose fearsome form was later recast as dangerous. Others speculate she was a morality figure used to discourage children from wandering alone, much like the Western “bogeyman.” In recent decades, her myth has absorbed influences from television horror and urban ghost tours, blurring the line between ancient superstition and modern storytelling.
The Most Famous Account
The most widely circulated story of Hachishaku-sama comes from a popular internet post that first appeared on Japanese message boards in the mid-2000s.
In it, a young man recalls a childhood visit to his grandparents’ rural home. Playing outside, he hears the “po… po… po…” sound and sees a woman far taller than anyone he’s ever met, her face hidden behind her hair.
His grandparents recognize the danger immediately and explain that she is Hachishaku-sama, a spirit who preys on children, and once you’ve seen her, she will not stop until she claims you. The family calls in a miko (Shinto priestess) to perform a protection ritual.
For an entire day and night, the boy remains locked in a warded room, forbidden to respond to any voice outside. Throughout the night, he hears her calling to him, sometimes in his mother’s voice, sometimes in the priestess’s. By morning, she’s gone — for now. His grandparents send him away to live elsewhere, warning him never to return.
The storyteller claims that as an adult, he has never gone back, fearing she might still be waiting.
Patterns in Sightings
Those who claim to have encountered the Eight-Foot Woman report a few consistent signs:
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She often appears during overcast weather, fog, or after rain.
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The “po… po… po…” sound is almost always present — described as metallic, mechanical, or like a hollow drumbeat.
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She’s first seen at a distance but grows noticeably taller each time you look at her.
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Once targeted, the victim experiences feelings of dread, fatigue, or disorientation until she either loses interest or the victim leaves the area permanently.
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Some claim she can change her appearance — shortening her height to blend in — but her unnaturally long limbs always give her away.
Four Alleged Encounters
Kyoto, 1983 – A university student walking home late saw a tall woman in a pale kimono standing under a streetlamp. At first, he thought she was simply tall for a Japanese woman — maybe 6’3”. But when he passed her, he realized her knees were bent unnaturally, as if she were lowering herself to appear shorter. She smiled without blinking.
Hokkaido, 1997 – Two cousins camping in the countryside woke to the sound of “po… po… po…” outside their tent. Thinking it was a prank, they peeked through the zipper and saw a towering woman’s shadow stretching across the field. The sound grew louder until dawn, when it stopped abruptly.
Tokyo, 2011 – A delivery driver spotted a “model-tall” woman walking between traffic lanes in heavy rain. She wore a long white coat and her head nearly touched the hanging traffic lights. When he slowed to look, her face was gone — just smooth, pale skin.
Okinawa, 2019 – A fisherman on night watch swore a figure emerged from the mist by the harbor, ducking under the pier roof despite being outdoors. Her voice called his name, but he refused to answer. She eventually turned and walked into the sea without a splash.
Similar Supernatural Figures
Japan has no shortage of tall, uncanny spirits. Hachishaku-sama shares traits with:
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Rokurokubi: women whose necks stretch to unnatural lengths, often preying on unsuspecting victims.
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Yama-uba: supernatural mountain women who lure travelers with offers of shelter, then consume them.
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Teke Teke: a vengeful female ghost missing her lower half, who moves unnaturally fast.
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Slit-Mouthed Woman (Kuchisake-onna): another modern legend of a female spirit who approaches with an eerie question before attacking.
Outside Japan, she’s often compared to Slender Man, although her folklore roots are more firmly tied to Japanese traditions of ghostly women and child-stealing spirits.
Creepypasta and Digital Popularity
In the 2000s, Hachishaku-sama found new life on forums like 2chan and Reddit’s r/NoSleep, where writers adapted her story for international audiences. The creepypasta version usually keeps the core elements — the “po… po… po…” sound, her towering frame, the child in danger — but places them in suburban or urban settings.
YouTube channels and TikTok horror storytellers have helped spread the legend worldwide, sometimes blending her with other urban myths. In some viral videos, she’s depicted as a faceless giantess peering into high-rise windows, her voice echoing through narrow streets.
Why the Legend Endures
Part of Hachishaku-sama’s lasting power lies in her simplicity. She is the embodiment of a primal fear — something much larger than you, hunting you in familiar spaces. Her slow but relentless pursuit mirrors childhood nightmares, while her connection to traditional Japanese ghost women gives her a cultural depth missing from many purely internet-born myths.
There’s also a psychological edge: researchers who study urban legends note that stories involving height distortions — someone or something much taller than normal — trigger an instinctive discomfort. It’s the same unease you feel looking up at a skyscraper or standing too close to a tall cliff, but twisted into something personal and predatory.
The legend also serves as a cautionary tale. In rural communities, warnings about a child-stealing giant might have been a way to keep children from wandering too far from home. Today, she has evolved into a digital-age campfire story — one you can tell in three sentences or thirty minutes, and still keep your audience up at night.
How to Protect Yourself
While there’s no guaranteed way to avoid her, folklore suggests:
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Never respond if you hear your name called unexpectedly, especially by a strange voice.
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If you hear the “po… po… po…” sound, leave the area immediately.
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Carry charms or talismans from a shrine — in some versions, gold is said to repel her.
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If targeted, consult a priest or spiritual practitioner to perform a warding ritual.
Enjoyed this story? Urban Legends, Mystery, and Myth explores the creepiest corners of folklore — from haunted objects and bloodthirsty creatures to chilling historical mysteries.
Want more bite-sized horror? Check out our book series, Urban Legends and Tales of Terror, for reimagined fiction inspired by the legends we cover here.
Because some stories don’t stay buried.
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