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An {{nihongo|'''Urban Legend'''|都市伝説}} is a form of modern folklore, often spread through word-of-mouth and contemporary means, such as the Internet. Not strictly originating in urban areas, the term is meant to differentiate between contemporary, memetic tales and traditional folklore and fiction. They often take the form of horror stories and cautionary tales.

==Urban Legends in Touhou==
In ''[[Forbidden Scrollery]]'' 14-15, the [[kappa]] borrow the [http://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/01/02/the-seven-wonders-of-honjo/ Seven Wonders of Honjo], a prototypical set of urban legends, and use the phenomenon of urban legends to spread rumors to disguise their activities at the [[Abandon Pond]] and [[Human Village]].

In ''[[Wild and Horned Hermit]]'' chapter 26, an [[Minor Characters#Unnamed Jinmenken|Unnamed Jinmenken]] makes its first appearance. In the same chapter, [[Marisa Kirisame]] seems to think she's seen an old woman selling dismembered legs. As [[Mamizou Futatsuiwa]] explains, these are urban legends from the [[Outside World]], the first to actually be called such. However, because they are spread among gossiping children, it is said their existence is weak and their relatively harmless nature is different than that of a [[youkai]]. Its countermeasure is as simple as altering the rumor behind the urban legend. Meanwhile, [[wikipedia:Kokkuri_(game)|Kokkuri-san]], a game designed to call on minor spirits to answer questions, takes hold of the children in the Human Village in ''Forbidden Scrollery'' 26-27. This prompts [[Kosuzu Motoori]] and [[Marisa Kirisame]] to play [[wikipedia:Ouija|Ouija]], a western game similar to Kokkuri-san. After word is intentionally spread that the game is ineffective, its popularity dies down.

In ''[[Urban Legend in Limbo]]'' it is shown that the [[Occult Ball|Occult Balls]] somehow have to do with the spread of urban legends, including those in the ''[[Wild and Horned Hermit]]'' appearance. Characters in the game then appropriate urban legends to use as their own. Although, in some cases, it is not urban legends in the strictest sense used by the characters. For example, [[Mononobe no Futo]] utilizes an old tragedy, [[wikipedia:Banchō_Sarayashiki|Bancho Sarayashiki]] and its main character, [[Minor Characters#Okiku-san|Okiku-san]], instead. Also, [[Kasen Ibaraki]]'s urban legend, the Monkey's Paw, actually originated in [[wikipedia:The Monkey's Paw|The Monkey's Paw]], an early-20th century short horror story.

Other urban legends in ''[[Urban Legend in Limbo]]'' include the {{nihongo|Gap Woman|隙間女|sukima-onna}} ([[Reimu Hakurei]]), the Seven School Mysteries ([[Kirisame Marisa]]), [[Minor Characters#Hasshaku-sama|Hasshaku-sama]] ([[Ichirin Kumoi]]), {{nihongo|[[wikipedia:Aka Manto|Aka Manto]]|赤マント}} ([[Toyosatomimi no Miko]]), {{nihongo|Turbo Granny|ターボばあちゃん|Turbo Baachan}} ([[Byakuren Hijiri]]), {{nihongo|[[wikipedia:Kuchisake-onna|Kuchisake-onna]]|口裂け女}} ([[Hata no Kokoro]]), {{nihongo|Merry-san|メリーさん}} ([[Koishi Komeiji]]), [[Minor Characters#Nessie|Nessie]] ([[Nitori Kawashiro]]), [[wikipedia:Men in Black|Men in Black]] ([[Mamizou Futatsuiwa]]), [[wikipedia:Spontaneous human combustion|spontaneous human combustion]] ([[Fujiwara no Mokou]]), and [[wikipedia:Little green men|Little Green Men]] ([[Sukuna Shinmyoumaru]]).

* {{nihongo|Gap Woman|隙間女|sukima-onna}} - [[Reimu Hakurei]]
* the Seven School Mysteries - [[Marisa Kirisame]]
* Hasshaku-sama - [[Ichirin Kumoi]]
* {{nihongo|Turbo Granny|ターボばあちゃん|Turbo Baachan}} - [[Byakuren Hijiri]]
* [[wikipedia:Banchō_Sarayashiki|Bancho Sarayashiki]] Okiku-san - [[Mononobe no Futo]]
* {{nihongo|[[wikipedia:Aka Manto|Aka Manto]]|赤マント}} - [[Toyosatomimi no Miko]]
* Nessie ([[Wikipedia:Loch ness monster|The Loch Ness Monster]]) - [[Nitori Kawashiro]]
* {{nihongo|Merry-san|メリーさん}} - [[Koishi Komeiji]]
* [[wikipedia:Men in Black|Men in Black]] - [[Mamizou Futatsuiwa]]
* {{nihongo|[[wikipedia:Kuchisake-onna|Kuchisake-onna]]|口裂け女}} - [[Hata no Kokoro]]
* [[wikipedia:Spontaneous human combustion|Spontaneous human combustion]] - [[Fujiwara no Mokou]]
* [[wikipedia:Little green men|Little Green Men]] - [[Sukuna Shinmyoumaru]]
* [[wikipedia:The Monkey's Paw|The Monkey's Paw]] - [[Kasen Ibaraki]]
* [[Occult Ball|Occult Balls]]/[[wikipedia: Doppleganger|Doppleganger]] - [[Sumireko Usami]]
* [[wikipedia:Kunekune (urban legend)|Kunekune]] - [[Reisen Udongein Inaba]]<!--
* - [[Doremy Sweet]] (it appears that Doremy does not have a specific urban legend attached to her)-->
* [[wikipedia:High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program#Conspiracy theories|HAARP conspiracy theories]] - [[Tenshi Hinanawi]]
* [[Wikipedia:Teke Teke|Teke Teke]] - [[Yukari Yakumo]]

==See Also==
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:Urban legend|Urban legend]]
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:Japanese urban legend|Japanese urban legend]]

[[fr:Légende Urbaine]]
[[ru:Городская легенда]]
[[Category:Urban Legend in Limbo]]