189 - UFO

【ユーフォー、yuufoo】

[There are other acronyms for this concept, such as UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena), UAS (unidentified aerial system), AAV (anomalous aerial vehicle), and most recently, also UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena).]

An acronym for Unidentified Flying Object. Generally, UFOs are thought to be flying saucers with aliens aboard, but in terms of the name, any flying object whose identity has not been confirmed is a UFO.

Some people believe that the Nazca Paintings in South America and the huge gathering ruins in England may have been built to communicate with spaceships because of their bizarre appearance.

There are countless reports of sightings of mysterious luminous objects around the world, including the Roswell Incident, in which the remains of a spaceship and its alien crew were reportedly recovered. Some believe that these flying objects are caused by airborne electrical discharges, but their true nature has yet to be clarified.

However, once its identity is determined, it ceases to be a UFO, even if it is a spacecraft because it is no longer unidentified.

162 - Flesh-eating Bacteria

【人食いバクテリア、hito-kui bakuteria】

"Some bananas from Costa Rica contain flesh-eating bacteria that cause a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which can lead to necrosis of the limbs and even death if eaten.

If a person eats a banana from Costa Rica and develops symptoms of fever and skin irritation, they should go to a hospital immediately, but in the unlikely event that there is no hospital nearby, they should burn the inflamed skin to delay infection.

This fact is being covered up for fear of creating a panic, but please circulate this e-mail to as many people as possible so that the damage can be mitigated."

An e-mail to the above effect was once circulated.

But of course, this is an untrue and malicious prank. However, there are, in fact, so-called flesh-eating bacteria.

When infected in humans, these bacteria can cause necrosis of the limbs and cause death within hours or days.

They are commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria.

Currently, there are two types of bacteria known as flesh-eating bacteria: "Vibrio vulnificus" and "Group A Streptococcus".

Vibrio vulnificus is a relative of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes food poisoning, that is found especially in warm seas. It is transmitted to humans through wounds or by eating raw seafood infected with the bacteria.

Nonetheless, overall healthy people aren't typically infected.

Vibrio vulnificus primarily infects people with liver disease. Once a person with liver disease is infected with V. vulnificus, the bacteria multiply, and within 24 hours the limbs become necrotic, often to the point of death.

"Group A Streptococcus" is a bacterium that mainly uses humans as hosts, and is said to be transmitted primarily through droplets from the mouth to the throat and skin. This coccus causes a variety of diseases, the most common of which are pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and rheumatic fever in children.

This alone is not a cause for concern, but if Group A Streptococcus mutates for any reason into a fulminant form, it can cause terrible symptoms.

The initial symptoms are very similar to those of the common cold, but the disease also causes necrosis of limbs and death in a short amount of time. Pregnant women, patients with kidney disease, and diabetics are especially vulnerable.

Because of the short time between the onset of disease and death, early detection of the cause and early treatment of the disease are necessary. As a reminder, these pathogens are not transmitted by bananas or other plant vectors.

31 - Reiko Kashima

【カシマレイコ、kashima reiko】

One day, a woman was involved in a railway accident at a certain railroad crossing. Her name was Reiko Kashima.

At first glance, it was obvious that she was killed instantly when she was run over by the train. The impact ripped her body apart, to the point that her original form was unrecoverable.

The police gathered the pieces of her body, but no matter where they looked, they could not find her left leg.

It is said that the spirit of Reiko Kashima, who lost one of her legs, will visit anyone who learns of her story within three days. If the person chants the name "Kashima-san" three times when she appears, Kashima-san will disappear. If the person does not chant the name, however, they will be killed by Kashima-san and their leg will be taken away.

This is the urban legend of "Reiko Kashima".

The legend of Reiko Kashima spread throughout Japan in the 1970s. In some regions, she is also called "Kijima-san", and although the cause of death and chant differ, the story of a female ghost who has lost a part of her body visiting those who hear her story is almost the same.

Some rumors also claim that if a person who hears the story of Kashima-san does not tell the story to five other people, Kashima-san will come after them.

Needless to say, this is a variation of the "letters of misfortune" that were popular in the 1970s.

The content of the original rumor is also a mixture of various motifs from existing rumors and societal news of the time.

Due to the attributes that came from "letters of misfortune", the rumor of Reiko Kashima explosively spread throughout the country. In the process of spreading the rumor, various motifs were acquired, and Reiko Kashima became well-known throughout Japan, even though her existence was constantly changing.