There is no storyteller on Earth quite like Junji Ito. Since his professional manga debut in 1987, he's been captivating and terrifying readers with his macabre tales and chillingly iconic creations. The brilliantly talented mangaka has rightfully become one of the most renowned horror storytellers of his generation, and for good reason. Junji Ito's beautifully illustrated comics conceal deep, devastating secrets, and each tale he crafts haunts and horrifies in the most unique way.
Junji Ito Collections
Alley
5
See it at Amazon
Uzumaki: Deluxe Edition
15
See it at Target
See it at Amazon
Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition
7
See it at Amazon
Mimi's Tales of Terror
0
See it at Amazon
Remina
1
See it at Amazon
Shiver
0
See it at Amazon
Gyo: Deluxe Edition
5
See it at Amazon
Smashed
2
See it at Amazon
Lovesickness
2
See it at Amazon
Narrowing down Junji Ito's vast collection to just 13 of his most bone-chilling stories was no small task. While many of the scariest Junji Ito short stories are available as scans online, they are also compiled into physical collections. Some collections, like Tomie and Uzumaki, contain stories that follow a specific narrative, while others, such as Shiver and Smashed, include standalone stories grouped by theme.
The Scariest Junji Ito Stories
From ominous ghost stories and heart-twisting gothic horror to grotesquely bizarre modern fables, here are the 13 most terrifying stories from one of the masters of horror manga, Junji Ito.
13. The Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads
Ito often explores themes of love and its curses. The first story and central theme from his Lovesickness collection exemplifies this perfectly. We meet Ryusuke on a train, returning to his hometown after years away, haunted by the very idea. The devastating reason behind his apprehension will soon be unveiled, but in the meantime, his arrival coincides with a trend of young women seeking "crossroads fortunes." Soon, the bodies of schoolgirls who ask strangers for their fortunes begin to turn up brutally murdered. Who is to blame? How does it connect with Ryusuke's past? This wonderfully chilling mystery is one of Ito's most memorable tales and introduces one of his scariest creations.
12. Village of the Siren
Turning to folk horror, Ito crafts another bleak homecoming in Village of the Siren. After receiving a strange phone call from his parents and witnessing an ominous apparition at his window, Kyochi decides it's time for a family reunion. Upon his return, he finds that the once lively village has turned into a ghost town. Life now revolves around a mysterious factory, and even more bizarre are the all-consuming sirens that emanate from it each night. If you love stories about strange rituals, unusual cults, and the occult, this is a tale you'll devour. For those who enjoy horror that breaks taboos, the high death count and unusual demographic of victims will certainly satisfy.
11. I Don't Want to Be a Ghost
When Shigeru kindly picks up a beautiful wandering woman from the side of the road, his life is forever changed. Initially worried about her bloodied and disoriented state, she explains it away. Days later, the two begin a secretive affair despite Shigeru being married and expecting a baby. Blinded by her beauty, he overlooks her frequent appearances covered in blood and her claim to "love his ghosts." Her true desires are darker than anyone could have foreseen, and Shigeru doesn't realize the truth until it's too late.
10. The Strange Hikizuri Siblings
One of Ito's more humorous creations, this bleakly funny slice-of-life story follows an unhinged set of siblings who take great pleasure in tormenting and terrorizing each other and unsuspecting victims. Over two tales collected in Lovesickness, we meet some of the unlucky people who cross their path, including an old school friend of their most beautiful member and a photographer. While their schemes can have deadly consequences, the Hikizuri siblings are generally rather hapless, though you wouldn't want to be invited to their dinner table.
9. The Mystery of the Haunted House
The arrival of a haunted house turns a town upside down as derision turns to terror with each new visitor. Two young boys become entangled in the proprietor's twisted games after trying to sneak in for free. Exploring the ghoulish halls, they discover a true house of horrors filled with victims who claim to be the owner's family. There's a dark comedy to this story, which features another of Ito's recurring characters, the scheming creeper Souichi Tsujii. But there's nothing funny about his heinous crimes. The Mystery of the Haunted House is a wild ride that will delight fans of haunt culture.
8. Honored Ancestors
Family often plays a significant role in Ito's tales, and Honored Ancestors might feature his most psychedelically deranged yet. On a seemingly normal evening, Risa is brought home by her close friend Makata, who claims she suffers from amnesia and couldn't remember where she lived. According to doctors, her amnesia is caused by immense emotional stress. Risa becomes increasingly distressed as she's haunted by visions of a giant caterpillar. What does it all mean? The truth revolves around Makata and his family's strange traditions, revealed in Ito's dementedly awful fashion as the tale concludes. It's one family reunion you'll never forget, though you'll wish you could.
7. Uzumaki
Likely the most famous of Ito's works, Uzumaki has been deemed a classic for good reason. Weaving a supernatural curse into a ghost story centered around the small town of Kurouzu-cho, which is haunted not by spirits but by spirals, this tale is uniquely spooky. Ito's distinctive linework does an epic job of transforming the usually unassuming shapes into something utterly terrifying. Uzumaki features many of Ito's favorite themes, such as obsession, paranoia, and the mundane becoming utterly bizarre. The impact of Uzumaki cannot be overstated, with multiple video game and film adaptations and a highly anticipated anime adaptation in development. You can check out our review of the first episode of the Uzumaki anime to see what we thought.
6. Fashion Model
While many of Ito's stories are slow-burn haunters, Fashion Model is a more in-your-face horror tale that reveals its monster from the earliest pages. Like our next entry, Tomie, Fashion Model has become one of Ito's most popular long-running tales. When a young man sees a bizarre model in a magazine whose mouth is filled with dagger-like teeth, he becomes consumed by her image. He can't stop thinking about her, why she was hired, and why she fills him with an all-consuming existential terror. Life moves on, and he and some friends begin casting for a student film. It's here that the model reemerges into his life in a brutal and all-too-real fashion. This is a great entry into both the Ito and monster horror canon.
5. Tomie
Probably Ito's most famous creation, the stunningly beautiful Tomie was murdered by her classmates only to reappear the next day. Since then, she's been terrorizing readers and lovestruck men for years. There's a collected edition of Tomie tales where you can read her story from her earliest to most recent appearances, and each one is more delightfully dark than the last. Her ever-shifting true face is the stuff of nightmares, but Ito's striking illustration style has also made her a perennial pop culture figure. Even if you've never read an Ito story, you've likely already seen Tomie as a sticker, tattoo, or t-shirt. Ironically, in her stories, it's nearly impossible to capture her beauty in an image unless you want to see her true face too.
4. House of the Marionettes
Puppets have always held a particularly creepy place in horror, and Ito uses this to his advantage in this ghastly story about a strange family obsessed with marionettes. It all begins when a young girl named Kinuko befriends the son of a family of puppeteers. Becoming close with one of the two sons, Haruhiko, she visits the home and immediately becomes wary of a large marionette named Jean-Pierre. Years later, Haruhiko and Kinuko reconnect and get married. But when they're called back to the former's family home, they make an awful discovery. This is one of the most classical of Ito's stories, but it will still shock and surprise at every turn.
3. Used Record
Eerie and atmospheric, Used Record tells the story of an odd record that hypnotizes and entices the listener. When Ogawa buys the vinyl, she quickly becomes obsessed, as does her friend Nakayama when she hears it. Soon, all the pair can do is listen to the song again and again. But there's only one copy, which means that the girls are on a tragic path. The thing that makes this story so terrifying is the relatable fact that we've all had that one song we can't stop listening to. Ito just takes it to the next, supernaturally nightmarish level. And for that reason, this wonderfully drawn tale ends up being just as addictive as the song at its center.
2. Greased
Growing up above her family's barbeque restaurant near Mount Fuji, Yui is sick of the grease that has slowly but surely accumulated, coating their home. While she worries about its effects, her violent and abusive brother Goro embraces the cooking oil that creates it, drinking it from the bottle until his face becomes covered in large, grotesque pustules. Goro's obsession with the grease and his sister's hopes of surviving it are deeply entangled in this, one of Ito's most stomach-churning tales, which will threaten both your lunch and your sleep cycle. Truly, this is the kind of story you have to mentally prepare to read, so don't take checking this one out lightly.
1. The Hanging Balloons
What makes The Hanging Balloons Ito's scariest story? Well, it's one of his most bizarre—where the mangaka excels—and it also manages to feel utterly claustrophobic and inescapable in the best way. After the unexpected suicide of a celebrity schoolgirl inspires a spate of copycat deaths, people begin to report seeing imposing balloons in the sky. But these are no ordinary balloons. In fact, reports claim they're the giant inflated heads of the woman who died. Many more of the balloons soon appear, chasing those whose faces they wear. Instead of strings, metal nooses swing beneath them. What is their purpose? If they catch up with those they resemble, they catch and hang them. This is a psychedelic night terror come to life.
What's Next for Junji Ito?
Pre-Order
Uncanny: Origins of Fear
2
Releasing October 15
See it at Amazon
Alley is the most recent short story collection from the horror manga author, though Junji Ito's most recent release is something entirely new. Uncanny: The Origins of Fear is a written memoir and analysis of the horror genre that was released last Fall. A sneak peek at the memoir is available on Viz Media's website.
Looking ahead, a new Junji Ito story collection titled "Moan" is set to release on October 7. According to the new collection's preorder page, you can expect "Obsession and persistence... warping reality in this collection of macabre stories set in Junji Ito’s bloodcurdling world."
Looking for more manga guides? Take a look at our guide to the best manga for beginners or dive into some of the best free manga websites and apps. You can also check out our updated guide on where to buy manga if you're looking for physical copies of Junji Ito's work.
