<figure id="attachment_379031" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1633px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379031"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e8bc25e1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/ca4aeee9a06e5a05d2db9293439d88a6.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379031" class="wp-caption-text">Installed near the high-rise tower in Kachidoki, a key box, attached to utility poles, some were also attached to fences and guardrails.</figcaption></figure>
Have you heard of the &#8220;mysterious key boxes&#8221; quietly becoming a topic on social media?
It&#8217;s said that unidentified key boxes are installed in several places, including utility poles, in the bay area of Chuo Ward, Tokyo. Who exactly, and for what purpose—? The FRIDAY Mystery Investigation Team promptly rushed to the scene.
Upon arriving at Kachidoki Station, a corner of the bay area, we immediately spotted one nearby. It was attached to a fence next to a towering 58-story condominium. It was black in color, about the size of a palm, and had four dials. We found several others in different locations, all with a similar design.
I spoke to a security guard at a nearby parking lot.
&#8220;Every other day, men in suits and women dressed like office workers come to these key boxes and seem to be operating something. I&#8217;ve tried talking to them once, and they just said they were doing rounds for their company and left. It&#8217;s a bit eerie.&#8221;
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Various Views"></div>
After that, they kept watch to see if anyone else would come, but unfortunately, they had no success.
The investigation seemed to hit a snag or so it appeared, until I caught wind that Councilman Genki Takahashi from Chuo Ward&#8217;s council was addressing the issue. He graciously agreed to an interview.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve received eyewitness reports totaling up to 30 locations. From my investigations, the most likely scenario appears to be illegal lodging. It seems unlicensed lodging operators are using these key exchanges. Indeed, Chinese illegal lodging sites prominently feature information that clearly points to apartments in Tokyo&#8217;s bay area.&#8221;
On the other hand, occult researcher Yuki Yoshida suggests a different possibility.
&#8220;Throughout history, boxes have been used as tools of curses. In the &#8216;Konjaku Monogatari Shū&#8217; volume 27, there&#8217;s a tale of a beautiful woman who gives a man a box with strict instructions never to open it. When he does, he dies from a curse. There&#8217;s a nonzero possibility that these boxes could harbor similar curses.&#8221;
It might be wise not to approach them recklessly.
<figure id="attachment_379033" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2426px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379033"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fceb39f6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/00408307999b7c6bc6f421b015f6678f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379033" class="wp-caption-text">This key box is fastened to a utility pole. Perhaps due to its long-term installation, it has deteriorated badly.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_379030" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2373px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379030"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="350398d4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/9c051fa19ae037f6ad46a0c21963d89b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379030" class="wp-caption-text">Near the installation sites, there is a tendency for several dozen-story modest apartments to be present.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_379034" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2707px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379034"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1486fd69"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/faf814346ee931c78c06e1e6334b7236.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379034" class="wp-caption-text">Some of them are even interconnected. Are they attempting to manage multiple keys in one place?</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_379032" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379032"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="2f825859"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/bf37d95906c249c6548f9be0c7fa5b8f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379032" class="wp-caption-text">Councilman Takahashi states, &#8220;We will proceed with removal.&#8221; Tokyo Electric Power Company is also taking action, and notices urging removal have been found.</figcaption></figure>
From the July 5 and 12, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
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 Hiroyuki Komatsu

 Mysterious key boxes" are secretly becoming a hot topic on SNS and other social networking sites. A number of unidentified key boxes have been placed on utility poles and other locations in the Tokyo Bay area, adding to the mystery. When we interviewed a person who is already working on the problem...

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