There is no storyteller on Earth quite like Junji Ito. Since his professional manga debut in 1987, he has been enthralling and terrifying readers with his macabre tales and chillingly iconic creations. As a brilliantly talented mangaka, Ito has rightfully become one of the most renowned horror storytellers of his generation, and for good reason. His beautifully illustrated comics conceal deep, devastating secrets, and each tale he weaves haunts and horrifies in a uniquely captivating 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 vast body of work to just 13 of his most bone-chilling offerings was no easy task. While many of the scariest Junji Ito short stories can be found as scans online, his short stories are also compiled into physical collections. Some collections, like Tomie and Uzumaki, follow a specific narrative, while others, like Shiver and Smashed, feature 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 the theme of love and its potential to curse us. The first—and throughline—story from his Lovesickness collection exemplifies this concept beautifully. We meet Ryusuke on a train as he returns to his hometown after years away, haunted by the very idea of returning. The devastating reason for his unease is soon revealed, coinciding with a trend of young women seeking "crossroads fortunes." As the bodies of school girls who ask strangers for their fortunes begin to turn up brutally murdered, the question of who is to blame and how it connects to Ryusuke's past emerges. This chilling mystery is one of Ito's most memorable tales and introduces one of his scariest creations.

12. Village of the Siren

Turning his hand to folk horror, Ito crafts another bleak homecoming in Village of the Siren. After a strange phone call from his parents and an ominous apparition at his window, Kyochi decides it's time for a family reunion. Upon his return, he finds that the once lively, though rural, village has transformed into a ghost town. Life now revolves around a mysterious factory of unknown origin, 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 tale is one you'll devour. It also breaks taboos with a significant death count featuring a rarely seen demographic of victims.

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. Though initially concerned about her bloodied and disoriented state, she explains it away. Days later, despite Shigeru being married and expecting a baby, the two begin a secretive affair. Blinded by her beauty, he overlooks how often she appears covered in blood and her claim to "love his ghosts." Her true desires, however, are much darker than anyone could have foreseen, and Shigeru realizes this too late.

10. The Strange Hikizuri Siblings

One of Ito's more humorous creations, this bleakly funny slice-of-life story follows a set of unhinged 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 unfortunate individuals 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

When a haunted house arrives in a town, derision quickly turns to terror as each new visitor steps through its doors. Two young boys become entangled in the proprietor's twisted games after attempting to sneak in for free. Upon 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, thanks to another of Ito's recurring characters, the scheming creeper Souichi Tsujii. However, 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 story yet. On a seemingly normal evening, Risa is brought home by her close friend Makata, who claims the young girl suffers from amnesia and can't remember where she lives. According to doctors, her amnesia is caused by immense emotional stress. Risa becomes increasingly distressed as she is haunted by visions of a giant caterpillar, but what does it all mean? The truth revolves around Makata and his family's strange traditions, which are revealed in Ito's dementedly awful fashion as the tale unfolds. It's a family reunion you'll never forget, though you'll wish you could.

7. Uzumaki

Likely the most famous of Ito's many works, Uzumaki has been deemed a classic for a reason. It weaves a supernatural curse into a ghost story centered around the small town of Kurouzu-cho, haunted not by spirits but by spirals. Ito's distinctive linework transforms these usually unassuming shapes into something utterly terrifying. Uzumaki explores themes like obsession, paranoia, and the mundane becoming bizarre. Its impact 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, this tale is a more in-your-face horror story that reveals its monster from the earliest pages. Like 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 with a mouth full of dagger-like teeth, he becomes consumed by her image. He can't stop thinking about her, her hiring, and why she fills him with existential terror. Life moves on, and he and some friends begin casting for a student film. It's here that the model reemerges 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, each one 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 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 its 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 repeatedly. But there's only one copy, which means the girls are on a tragic path. What 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 by 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? It's one of his most bizarre—which is 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 it's the giant inflated head 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

2Releasing October 15See it at AmazonAlley 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.