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The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

The Most Dangerous Games: The White Kimono Game

August 30, 2017 by Lucia

Previously: Sever the Cord. 

The White Kimono Game reminds me a little bit of the Corner Game  in that they both utilize the four corners of a room to summon a spirit; the difference is that the White Kimono Game is a single-player game, so if you’ve been having trouble finding folks willing to try the Corner Game with you, this one is a reasonable alternative. Admittedly I’m not totally sure why you’d want to summon the spirits described in either game, as you don’t seem to get anything out of it other than bragging rights if you survive… but maybe that’s the point. Remember that whole tempting fate thing? I suspect it comes down — yet again — to that.

For the curious, the particular kind of white kimono Japanese ghosts are often depicted wearing is called a kyōkatabira. It’s basically a funeral shroud — the kimono in which people’s earthly remains are wrapped before burial. In Buddhism, it’s part of something called the shinishozoku (“the costume for one going to death,” according to Zack Davisson of the Japanese folklore site Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai); the full shinishozoku consists of the kyōkatabir, a triangle-shaped headband, a zutabukuro (small bag) containing the fee for passage across the Sanzu River (the river of the dead), a walking stick, arm, leg, and back coverings, and prayer beads.

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

I haven’t been able to find a satisfactory translation of the summoning chant, so unfortunately I can’t tell you what it means. According to Scary for Kids, the original Japanese for it is apparently おんべいろきゃましろにそわか — if anyone out there is handy at translations, feel free to drop a comment.

As always, play at your own risk.

Players:

  • One principal.

Requirements:

  • A dark room with precisely four corners — no more, no less. The curtains should be drawn, and all sources of exterior light pollution should be eliminated.
  • A light source with an easy-to-operate switch.
  • A compass. Optional, but recommended if your sense of direction is somewhat lacking.

Instructions:

The Invitation:

  1. Begin after midnight. Between two and three o’clock in the morning is suggested.
  2. Go to your room, close the door, and lie down on your back. The lights should be on, but arranged such that they will be easy to turn off from your current position. (A small lamp positioned near your location of repose is ideal.) Your gaze should be focused on the ceiling.
  3. Turn your gaze to the northernmost corner of the room.
  4. Shift your gaze to the westernmost corner of the room.
  5. Shift your gaze to the southernmost corner of the room.
  6. Shift your gaze to the easternmost corner of the room.
  7. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 two more times, gazing at each corner in turn, moving counterclockwise, for a total of three circuits around the room.
  8. Cross your arms on your chest.
  9. Repeat the following words three times: “On be iroki yamashironi sowaka.”
  10. In your mind’s eye, picture a woman. She has long black hair, and she is dressed in a white kimono — or at least, it would be white, if it weren’t for the fact that it is heavily stained. The stain is red, a rusty red that invites terrible thoughts.
  11. She is walking towards you.
  12. She is still walking towards you.
  13. She is getting closer.
  14. She is very close.
  15. She is right before you.
  16. Uncross your arms.
  17. Turn off the lights.
  18. Go to sleep.

The Dream:

  1. If you see the woman in your dream, the invitation was successful. You may appreciate her presence; however, DO NOT:
    • Speak to her.
    • Tell her your name.
    • Let her whisper anything in your ear.
  2. If she begins whispering in your ear: Wake up immediately. Shaking your right hand in your dream is recommended; however, if you are skilled at lucid dreaming, you may use whichever method for waking yourself up you find to be the most effective.

The Awakening:

  1. Upon waking, examine the corners of the room. Do you see a shadow lurking in any of them? A shadow which should not be there?
  2. No? Then you are safe.
  3. Do not attempt this ritual again.

Additional Notes:

It is recommended that all players develop skills in lucid dreaming before attempting this ritual. Resources may be found below:

  • How Can You Control Your Dreams?
  • The Ways To Control Dreaming
  • What It’s Like To Be An Expert Lucid Dreamer
  • Four Techniques
  • How To Lucid Dream
  • Lucid Dreamers Discuss Techniques
  • Lucid Dreaming Community

If You See A Shadow In The Room Upon Waking:

Turn the lights on immediately. Do not allow yourself to be alone in the dark again. Ever.

If You Are Unable To Wake Yourself Up:

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

The White Kimono Game: FAQ.

***

Please don’t copy or republish this post on other sites. Linking to it or sharing the URL is fine (and encouraged!), as is writing your own unique version of the game, but copying/pasting, republishing, or otherwise reproducing the text of this piece in its entirety or near-entirety on other websites without permission isn’t.

***

Support The Ghost In My Machine on Patreon for behind-the-scenes access and bonus content. You can also follow on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine.

[Photo via CecilJames/Pixabay, remixed by Lucia Peters]

Filed Under: Games Tagged With: games you shouldn't play, Japan, Japanese ghosts, The Most Dangerous Games, White Kimono Game

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teresa says

    May 28, 2020 at 3:27 am

    I don’t speak Japanese, but the “on” and “sowaka” sounds very much like the beginning & ending of a Buddhist mantra.

    In Chinese, many mantras are transliterated from the Sanskrit–that is, they transcribe the sounds rather than translate the meaning; I imagine Japanese does much the same. So you can’t really translate mantras from the Japanese, since they aren’t using Japanese words in the first place.

    Reply
  2. Uni Student Studying Japanese says

    July 24, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    I wouldn’t trust the Japanese you got from that website. I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck it means but it’s just nonsense. It’s especially hard because it’s all in hiragana, no kanji used as it should have been (I recognized that しろ should have been written as 白).
    I was looking through Japanese sites and even googled it IN Japanese. All I found was someone who doesn’t even know what “onbe” means. I tried looking up the game and sadly couldn’t find much either on what the original Japanese chant is. I’ll reply under this comment if I ever end up figuring it out.

    Reply
  3. bella says

    May 22, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    on google translate you can take a picture, highlight the phrase and it will translate. I’ve done it to the japanese symbols and it came up with “it’s a pleasure to come.” whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. either way, it’s creepy.

    Reply
  4. Writing Chicken says

    May 14, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    I want to use this game in my book that I’m writing. It’s about this game and two girls. Do I have to get permission? I just want to make sure, because I’m going to copy and paste like the instructions on the book. If I do have to get permission, how do I get it? And not be illegal?

    Reply
    • Lucia says

      May 14, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      Hi there — please don’t copy and paste the rules for this game as written by The Ghost In My Machine, either in part or in whole, in your book. The versions of the urban legend/ritual games we post here are researched and written specifically for this site and may not be reproduced elsewhere.

      You’re welcome to do your own research and write your own versions of any of the legends we’ve covered, just as we do ourselves. If you choose to do so, please be sure to properly credit and cite each source you use as research.

      Reply
  5. hi says

    August 3, 2018 at 4:56 pm

    on-beiro appears to have some significance in shintoism, but i was unable to find anything in detail. it should be what you’re summoning as kyama is a very respectful honourific. the rest says “come crawling towards me, dressed in white.”
    “on-beiro-kyama, come crawling towards me, dressed in white.”
    -6 years of japanese study
    you want to pronounce it as:
    “on-bay-ee-row-kyah-mah, she-row nee so-wah-kah”

    Reply
  6. Kate says

    July 31, 2018 at 7:06 pm

    Not only are the actual stories and games entertaining, I like to read the comments. Whether it’s people stating their own experiences (normally unlikely), or the questions burning in the back of their mind. I think it’s funny how people question the unknown. It’s like getting a bad ending in a video game. You want to know what happens so you can test it, even if it’s simply dying or a game over. But this is real life. You can’t save then make a stupid choice. Yet, as a human we always try to find loopholes in rules and such. But if we’re so inclined to find said loopholes…

    Aren’t we just asking spirits to cheat as well?

    Reply
  7. Callum says

    May 19, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    I tried to translate and I got Sonoka in the mountain castle.

    Reply
  8. lacey says

    March 28, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    Well, I’m a heavy sleeper, so nope, not doing this one.

    Reply
  9. Claws n Paws says

    February 22, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    Ah man this one is really creepy, I don’t think I could ever do something like this. Props to anyone who has done it.

    Reply
  10. Dimensional says

    October 25, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    Crap no.

    Reply
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