Every once in a while in Japan, you might encounter an otherwise modern structure that embraces the more traditional aesthetic and architecture of its surroundings. Two prominent examples of this would be a Kyoto Starbucks that is actually a renovated century-old building, or a vending machine in Shimane that looks like it was transported out of the Edo era.

Twitter user @roji_shi stumbled on one such structure that made them feel not only as if they had fallen into a time slip, but also been absorbed into the spookier side of Japanese folklore. When visiting Tottori prefecture @roji_shi came across a set of Tottori Bank and 7-Eleven ATMs that looked like they were operated by yokai, the spirits and demons of Japanese folklore:

Source: @roji_shi

Anime and manga fans will know why. Outside of the haunted look of the building, the ATMs are located in Sakaiminato City, the hometown of Shigeru Mizuki, the author of hit yokai manga and anime GeGeGe no Kitaro. The area has adopted the world of yokai created in the manga as a bit of a tourist attraction. The ATMs are located on a street highly decorated with yokai stylings, and attached to a building that is modeled after a haunted yokai mansion. There's a sense of humor about the place that is ghostly charming, however, as Kitaro (the manga protagonist) lounges on a bench outside, and the ATM monitor displays Hitotsume-ko (one eyed boy), a Cyclopian yokai that appears to watch sneakily as you complete your transaction.

Fortunately, a sign outside the building warns customers not to reveal their PIN number if asked to do so by local spirits...


By - grape Japan editorial staff.