The Murderous Old Hag of Ubagaike: A Tokyo Lore

Sometimes, the most sinister of tales lurk in places so common to the unsuspecting eye that we fail to notice it. From a distance, this is just a playground with a beautiful pond. But there’s a sad, if not horrifying tale, that haunts it.

Ubagaike Lore

This place is called Ubagaike, literally meaning “elderly woman’s pond.” Lore has it that there was once a large pond here that lead to Sumida River. Nearby was a lone hut, the only place of lodging in the area. Weary travelers had no choice but to seek shelter here, unbeknownst to them that they’d meet a tragic fate.

You see, the old woman who lived in this hut used it as bait for robbery and murder. Once the travelers slept soundly, she would use a stone pillow to crack their skulls, steal their belongings, and then dump their lifeless bodies in the pond. The woman had a young daughter, who, despite her protests, could not get her mother to stop.

One night, the old lady went about killing another victim, but as she tried to dispose of the body, she was horrified to find out what she had done. Her daughter, who wanted nothing than for her mother to stop killing people, had exchanged places with their guest, and had ultimately sacrificed her life for it. Realizing the mistake, the old hag was overcome with grief. She threw her daughter’s dead body in the pond and jumped in to meet her own demise.

Ubagaike Today

Ubagaike lies in Asakusa and is a few minutes walk from the tourist magnet that is Sensoji. Today, the pond is said to be much smaller than what it once was. Many houses and shops surround the playground where it is located, and children’s cheerful voices can be heard in the otherwise quiet area. A lone stone stands on the pathway leading to the water, a quiet reminder of the horrors this place once witnessed.

Ubagaike Access

Ubagaike Pond (姥ヶ池, うばがいけ)
Located in: Hanakawado Park (North Side)
2-minute walk from Nitemmon Bus Stop
10-minute walk from Asakusa Station