Kaidan: Japan’s Ghost Stories
Introduction
Kaidan (怪談) refers to Japanese stories of the occult, particularly those from the Edo period (1603-1868). As a fan of horror, I love the mix of the strange and grotesque with traditional Japanese culture. In this post I will showcase four of the most famous kaidan.
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| Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre (1844) |
Yōkai
I can't talk about kaidan without first introducing yōkai (妖怪). Yōkai are spiritual entities from Japanese folklore, comparable to monsters or demons in Western culture. While not always evil, they can be mischievous or dangerous. These beings reflect ancient Japanese fears, values, and the blurred boundary between the human world and the spirit realm. Here are a few examples:
- Tanuki (Raccoon Dog): Shapeshifters known for tricking people, tanuki are often seen as friendly spirits that bring good fortune. They are commonly portrayed as jovial creatures with exaggerated features, such as their humongous balls which you can rub for luck.
- Kitsune (Fox): Kitsune are fox spirits capable of transforming into humans. Some kitsune serve the Shinto deity Inari and are depicted as white, benevolent foxes. Kitsune love to trick humans, especially those who are prideful or foolish. In many stories, they assume the form of women to deceive men.
- Oni (Demons): Hulking, ogre-like creatures with horns and wild hair, oni are powerful and dangerous, known for causing destruction and feasting on humans.
- Kappa (River Child): Amphibious creatures with a water-filled depression on their heads, kappa are notorious for drowning people and stealing their shirikodama, a mythical ball believed to reside in the anus and said to contain a person's soul.
- Rokurokubi: These women appear normal by day but have necks that stretch at night. Some Rokurokubi simply enjoy scaring humans, while others may spy or attack unsuspecting victims.
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| Rokurokubi from the Hokusai Manga |
- Kasa-obake (Umbrella Ghost): Kasa-obake is a one-eyed umbrella that hops around on a single leg. It is often depicted with a long tongue and mischievous grin. Kasa-obake enjoys surprising people but is harmless.
- Shirime: My personal favourite, Shirime is a playful yōkai with an eye where its anus should be. Shirime loves to startle travellers by flashing them, revealing its butt-eye.
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| Shirime by Yosa no Buson |
There are so many interesting yōkai with different personalities and physical traits. Some yōkai are attached to cautionary tales while others simply exist within the wider context Shintoism. While yōkai sometimes feature in kaidan, it is not always the case.
Kaidan (Ghost Stories)
Hōichi the Earless (耳なし芳一, Mimi-nashi Hōichi)
Hōichi the Earless is the tale of a blind musician renowned for his mastery of the biwa, a traditional Japanese lute. He lived at Amidaji Temple, under the care of a kind priest, and was especially skilled in performing The Tale of the Heike, an epic that recounts the fall of Emperor Antoku, who was buried at the temple.
One evening, a samurai appeared and ordered Hōichi to perform for his lord. Being blind, Hōichi could not see where he was being taken but was led to what felt like a grand residence, belonging to a powerful daimyō. There, he played The Tale of the Heike with such emotion and skill that his audience was moved to tears. Impressed by his talent, they requested his return the following night. However, the samurai warned Hōichi not to speak of these events to anyone.
Night after night, the samurai returned to take Hōichi to the mysterious residence, where he performed the epic tale for the same enchanted audience. Meanwhile, the priest noticed Hōichi’s strange absences and sent people to search for him. One night, they found Hōichi playing his biwa wth fervour in the middle of Amidaji’s cemetery, surrounded by graves. Horrified, they brought him back to the temple, and Hōichi confessed everything to the priest.
Realising that Hōichi had been performing for ghosts, the priest decided to protect him. He covered Hōichi’s body with the kanji characters of the Heart Sutra, a sacred text, which would render him invisible to the spirits. The priest warned him to remain silent when the samurai called for him again.
That night, as expected, the samurai returned, calling out for Hōichi. When there was no response, the samurai grew frustrated. Upon searching, the samurai could only see Hōichi’s ears—the one part of his body that had been left uncovered by the sutra. The samurai ripped off Hōichi’s ears as proof of his failed mission, leaving the musician injured but alive.
Hōichi was now freed from the spirits’ grasp. Though he had lost his ears, he recovered and became famous throughout Japan for his music, earning the nickname "Hōichi the Earless".
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| Hōichi from movie Kwaidan (1964) |
Black Hair (黒髪, Kurokami)
Black Hair is a chilling tale that begins with a samurai living in poverty with his wife in a crumbling home. Dissatisfied with their situation, the samurai left her behind to serve a lord in a distant land, where he took another woman. After several years, however, he was consumed by guilt and longing for the wife he had abandoned. Determined to find her, he returned home late one night.
To his surprise, she was there, sitting silently and waiting for him. Despite the years of neglect and abandonment, she welcomed him back without anger or resentment. Overcome with emotion, the samurai vowed never to leave her side again. They embraced and fell asleep together, seemingly reconciled.
But as morning came, the samurai awoke to a shocking reality. The house, now fully illuminated by daylight, was in far worse condition than it had appeared the night before—decayed and crumbling. Worse still, when he turned to his wife, he found not the woman he had reunited with, but a decaying corpse, little more than bone, draped in long, black hair.
The moral of the story is clear: never abandon those you love, for you may return too late.
Yuki-Onna (雪女, Snow Woman)
Yuki-Onna is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore, believed to be a spirit of snow or a ghostly apparition. Yuki-onna typically appears on snowy nights, preying on travellers lost in blizzards. She is often described as a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in white. She lures them with her beauty, only to unleash her icy powers, leaving victims frozen in the snow.
There are different variations of the Yuki-onna tale, with some portraying her as a merciless spirit and others depicting her as capable of kindness. In certain versions, she is shown sparing lives or even falling in love with a mortal.
One of the most famous stories from Niigata Prefecture involves a Yuki-onna who visits a man and eventually becomes his wife. However, she avoids taking baths and grows anxious when pressed about it. One day, she is forced into the bath, and to the man's shock, she vanishes, leaving behind only thin, fragmented icicles, revealing her true nature as a spirit of snow.
The Ghost of Okiku (番町皿屋敷, Banchō Sarayashiki)
The story of Okiku is one of Japan's Three Great Kaidan (日本三大怪談), alongside Yotsuya Kaidan and Botan Dōrō. There are different variations of the story, however I shall tell you the version form Hyōgo Prefecture where I currently live.
Okiku was a servant at Himeji Castle, responsible for cleaning and maintaining the lord’s most valuable treasure: a set of ten precious plates used for entertaining important guests. Knowing their worth, she handled them with the utmost care.
Okiku's beauty attracted the attention of many at the castle, including a samurai named Aoyama. He became infatuated with her and made many advances, but Okiku rejected him every time.
Frustrated, Aoyama devised a cruel plan. He stole one of the ten plates and accused Okiku of losing it. Terrified, she counted the plates repeatedly but could only find nine. Aoyama offered to cover up the “loss” if Okiku agreed to become his lover. She refused once again, enraging Aoyama, who then ordered his servants to throw her down a well.
After her death, Okiku's ghost emerged from the well every night, wandering the halls of the castle, still searching for the missing plate. Her ghostly voice could be heard counting: "One, two, three... nine," followed by a heart-wrenching scream when she realised the tenth plate was still missing. It is said that those who heard her scream died soon after, and her voice haunted the samurai who had wronged her.
Eventually, a Buddhist priest was called to rid the castle of Okiku’s spirit. He waited for her ghost to appear and listened as she counted: "One, two, three... nine." As soon as she reached nine, the priest shouted, "Ten!" Relieved, Okiku's ghost finally found peace, sinking back into the well and never returning.
Okiku is known as an onryō—a vengeful spirit. Fun fact: I have actually been to the well at Himeji castle (although I didn't realise it at the time!).
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| The Ghost of Okiku by Hokusai (1830) |
Modern Horror
Modern Japanese horror is a popular and distinct genre that draws on themes from traditional stories, such as long black hair. Films like The Ring and Ju-on: The Grudge are well-known examples. Horror manga is also widely loved, with creators like Junji Ito gaining fame for short horror stories like Uzumaki, which continue to receive attention and have been adapted into animated series.
I remember watching Ju-on: The Grudge on a flight to France and laughing throughout, although I have to admit, the idea of a random child appearing in my room at night did scare me a bit. I also rode a The Ring-themed ride at Universal Studios Japan, which was completely pitch black and even stopped halfway for about two minutes. The ride spun me around in the dark while Sadako’s screams echoed in the background, and by the end, I felt pretty nauseous. Needless to say, I wouldn’t ride that again!
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| Sadako: antagonist of The Ring |
Conclusion
Japan has some of the most fascinating (and spooky) monsters and ghost stories, many of which I didn’t cover in this post. If you found this interesting, I encourage you to dive deeper and explore more of these captivating tales!
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