Creepy Urban Legends: Tomino's Hell

 What happens when we read a good book or poem?

We think about it, we let it change our perspective and influence us. We analyze, we change, we grow.

But that's when the book is that good and has a profound effect on us.

Now, what happens when what we read, disturbs us? A poem or a story may have some violent elements that affect us negatively and give us nightmares.

Hopefully, the effect wears off soon.

But have you ever wondered if perhaps there is a story out there that can be so dangerous, so disturbing, that by simply reading it aloud, your nightmares can turn into reality? That you could end up losing your life?

Tomino's Hell is one such poem that is thought to be cursed. By simply reading it aloud, you will have condemned your soul to eternal hell.

It was after the end of World War I when a famous Japanese poet, Saijo Yaso penned a poem titled Tomino no Jigoku. It was just supposed to be one of the poems in the book of collections called Sakin (Gold dust).

The poem quickly gained notoriety when whoever read the poem felt disturbed by it. The readers, all wanted to know the context of the poem. But Saijo Yaso never clarified whom the poem was based on.

Was Tomino a girl or a boy? Was the child abused, traumatized, a victim or a killer?

When the readers couldn't determine for sure, they decided to look into the life of the poet. Surely there must be some hint there. After all, writers and poets draw from their lives when writing something.

But nobody could find much about Saijo Yaso either. All that was obvious was that the poet had suffered some personal loss. Perhaps he lost someone in the war that prompted him to write a poem with a very disturbed mind.

In 1974, Teryama Shuji, a famous filmmaker decided to make a movie based on the poem. The movie was called To Die in the Countryside.

Shortly after the movie was released, the filmmaker was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and died. Everyone blamed the poem for bringing such bad luck on the director.

A few years later, a college student who wrote an essay on Tomino's Hell committed suicide.

The poem became an Urban Legend. The student and the filmmaker had read the poem, been influenced by it and invited the curse upon themselves.

People warned each other to never read the poem out aloud. After all, who wanted to damn their soul to the lower depths of hell?

The poem is available to read online. However, you have been warned. Be careful about reading it aloud.