I feel like the more japanese horror I read, the more my interest in it is beginning to wane. Some is still good, like Ura Baito, Nikubami, or Dark Gathering, but I think the main things those have in common is that the main characters know their situation is dangerous. Their lives are in danger, and the threats are monstrous, but it wasn't a 'surprise' that they found themselves in danger. Another one that's good is Fuan no Tane, but for different reasons. There's no answers, but it's focused more on the uncomfortable and the surreal.

Something anon posted last week put it in perspective for me, a ton of jap horror is built around its randomness. You could be walking down a street when suddenly out of nowhere a ghost descends and splats you into a puddle of gore and tortures your soul for a billion trillion kalpas, and all you can do is accept your lot. You didn't even do anything different - you walked down that street hundreds of times for work at the same pace as normal. It came out of nowhere and there is no way to even react. It's the kind of scary story a eusocial ant would tell - you may die at random, but the hive still endures. It's the same reason I dislike American horror and its random diabolus ex machinas at the end of every single one.

By the way, the raws are out there...somewhere...Wu Tang ain't nothin' to fuck with...