The 13 Most Terrifying Junji Ito Manga Stories

There is no storyteller on Earth quite like Junji Ito. Since his professional manga debut in 1987, he has been terrifying readers with his macabre tales and chillingly iconic creations. This brilliantly talented mangaka has rightfully become one of the most well-known horror storytellers of his generation, and for good reason. Junji Ito's beautifully illustrated comics hide deep, devastating secrets, and each tale he weaves haunts and horrifies in a uniquely unsettling way.

Junji Ito Collections

### Alley

5See it at Amazon### Uzumaki: Deluxe Edition

15See it at TargetSee it at Amazon### Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition

7See it at Amazon### Mimi's Tales of Terror

0See it at Amazon### Remina

1See it at Amazon### Shiver

0See it at Amazon### Gyo: Deluxe Edition

5See it at Amazon### Smashed

2See it at Amazon### Lovesickness

2See it at AmazonNarrowing down Junji Ito's massive body of work to just 13 of his most bone-chilling offerings was no easy task. While many of Ito's scariest short stories can be found online, his works are also compiled into physical collections. Some collections, like Tomie and Uzumaki, contain stories following a specific narrative, while others, like Shiver and Smashed, present standalone tales grouped thematically.

The Scariest Junji Ito Stories

From ominous ghost stories and heart-twisting gothic horror to grotesquely bizarre modern fables, here are 13 terrifying tales from the master of horror manga, Junji Ito.

13. The Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads

Ito often explores the dark side of love and its capacity to curse us. The opening story in his Lovesickness collection perfectly exemplifies this theme. We meet Ryusuke on a train, a teenage boy returning to his hometown after years away, haunted by the very idea of his return. The devastating reason for this unease is soon revealed, coinciding with a disturbing trend of young women seeking "crossroads fortunes," only to turn up brutally murdered. This chilling mystery is one of Ito's most memorable, introducing one of his most frightening creations.

12. Village of the Siren

In this foray into folk horror, Ito crafts another bleak homecoming. Following a strange phone call and an ominous apparition, Kyochi returns to his family, only to find his once-lively village transformed into a ghost town, dominated by a mysterious factory and the all-consuming sirens that emanate from it nightly. This story is perfect for those who enjoy tales of strange rituals, unusual cults, and the occult, featuring a high body count and a rarely seen demographic of victims.

11. I Don't Want to Be a Ghost

When Shigeru rescues a beautiful woman from the roadside, his life takes a dark turn. Despite her bloodied and disoriented state, their secretive affair begins, even though Shigeru is married and expecting a child. Blinded by her beauty, he ignores her frequent blood-soaked appearances and her claim to "love his ghosts," unaware of her truly sinister desires until it's too late.

10. The Strange Hikizuri Siblings

This darkly humorous tale follows a set of unhinged siblings who delight in tormenting each other and unsuspecting victims. Across two stories in Lovesickness, we meet various unlucky individuals who cross their path, including a school friend and a photographer. While their schemes have deadly consequences, the Hikizuri siblings are generally hapless, though you wouldn't want to be on their bad side.

9. The Mystery of the Haunted House

The arrival of a haunted house throws a town into chaos as derision turns to terror. Two young boys sneak into the house, only to discover a true house of horrors filled with victims claiming to be the owner's family. This story features the scheming Souichi Tsujii, one of Ito's recurring characters, adding a dark comedic element to the heinous crimes within.

8. Honored Ancestors

Family is a recurring theme in Ito's work, and Honored Ancestors might be his most psychedelically deranged exploration of it. Risa, suffering from amnesia, is brought home by her friend Makata. As she's haunted by visions of a giant caterpillar, the truth revolves around Makata's family's strange traditions, revealed in Ito's characteristically demented style.

7. Uzumaki

Perhaps Ito's most famous work, Uzumaki is a classic for a reason. This supernatural ghost story centers around the small town of Kurouzu-cho, haunted not by spirits but by spirals. Ito's distinctive linework transforms these normally unassuming shapes into something utterly terrifying. Uzumaki features Ito's favorite themes: obsession, paranoia, and the mundane becoming bizarre.

6. Fashion Model

Unlike many of Ito's slow-burn stories, Fashion Model is a more visceral horror tale. A young man sees a bizarre model in a magazine with dagger-like teeth and becomes consumed by her image. He can't stop thinking about her, and she re-emerges in brutal fashion when he begins casting for a student film.

5. Tomie

Probably Ito's most famous creation, the stunningly beautiful Tomie is murdered only to reappear the next day, terrorizing readers and lovestruck men for years. Her ever-shifting true face is nightmarish, but Ito's striking style has made her a pop culture icon. Even if you've never read Ito, you've likely seen Tomie as a sticker, tattoo, or t-shirt.

4. House of the Marionettes

Puppets have a creepy place in horror, and Ito uses this to his advantage in this ghastly tale about a family obsessed with marionettes. A young girl befriends the son of a family of puppeteers and years later, when they reconnect and marry, they make a horrifying discovery upon returning to his family home.

3. Used Record

Eerie and atmospheric, Used Record tells the story of a record that hypnotizes the listener. When Ogawa buys it, she and her friend become obsessed, listening again and again. The relatability of the obsession makes this story particularly terrifying.

2. Greased

Growing up above her family's barbeque restaurant, Yui is sick of the grease coating their home. Her abusive brother, Goro, embraces the grease, drinking it until his face becomes covered in grotesque pustules. This is one of Ito's most stomach-churning tales.

1. The Hanging Balloons

The unexpected suicide of a celebrity school girl inspires copycat deaths, and people report seeing giant balloons in the sky—giant inflated heads of the deceased, with metal nooses swinging beneath them. This psychedelic night terror is utterly claustrophobic and inescapable.

What's Next for Junji Ito?

Pre-Order### Uncanny: Origins of Fear

2Releasing October 15See it at AmazonAlley is Ito's most recent short story collection, but his latest release is Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, a memoir and analysis of the horror genre. A new collection, Moan, is set to release on October 7, promising obsession, persistence, and reality-warping macabre stories.

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