Japanese ghost stories, or kaidan (also called kwaidan), are some of the most disturbing horror tales in the world. The kanji for kaidan explains perfectly what these stories are: kai means “mysterious,” “strange” or “rare or bewitching apparition” while dan means “talk” or narrative. The word has also come to loosely encompass horror stories as well.
Ghost stories became popular in Japan during the Edo period when a game called Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai spread throughout the country. People would gather around one hundred candles and then begin telling kaidan stories. After each story, a candle would be extinguished. When the last one was extinguished, they would perform an evocation to summon a ghost. This practice was believed to have originated amongst the samurai.
The stories can be very brutal. When people die, they are often killed painfully or mutilated. Most Japanese ghost stories also touch on karma, rebirth or redemption. Often, someone who is considered a “bad” person ends up suffering at the hands of the person that they hurt the most. They are meant to caution people against doing things they know are wrong. Among all the Japanese ghost stories, these two tales are the most popular.
In the first story entitled Kuchisake-onna, a woman is murdered by a jealous husband who then mutilates her by slitting her mouth open. The name Kuchisake-onna translates to “Slit-Mouth Woman” and the woman returns to life and starts killing people in the same way she had been killed.
The second story, Evil Split of Princess Sakura tells of a monk, Seigen, who fell in love with the Princess Sakura, who had a deformed fist she couldn’t open. Seigen pursued her and was able to open her fist, revealing an incense box. Seigen recognized it as belonging to his dead lover, who had committed suicide so he could be reborn as a woman. Repulsed, Sakura ran away, ending up in the arms of a thief, Gonosuke. Seigen followed but Gonosuke killed him. Seigen’s spirit was so angry that he haunted Sakura and she decided to make amends. She murdered her son, Gonosuke’s child and then murdered Gonosuke while Seigen’s ghost looked on. Afterwards, she curved her hand back around the incense box and slit her own throat.
Yotsuya Kaidan: Summary and analysis of a story dating back to 1825 translated from Ghost Story of Yotsuya.
Under the Peony Lantern: Story involving romance, sex, and death. Known as Botan D?r? in Japanese.
The Appeal of Kaidan: Explains why Kaidan stories are so popular.
Ghosts In Mangas: Discusses how ghost stories are put into “manga” or comic book form today.
Ghost Stories of Japan: The University of Oklahoma’s page about Japanese ghost stories.
The Snow Ghost: One of Japan’s most popular ghost stories.
Rokuro-Kubi: Ghost story dating back to the 1300s. A Rokuro-Kubi was a former human being who suffered from ghostly afflictions because of past actions and bad karma.
The Secret of Iidamachi Pond: A great collection of Japanese folklore stories including the popular The Secret of Iidamachi Pond.
Female Ghosts: Lists many stories with female ghosts.
Mujina: The story of Mujina, or faceless ghost.
Kaidan stories have taken on many forms since the earliest days. Now, they are being made into comics and horror films. In fact, Japanese ghost movies are amongst the most popular horror movies viewed in the United States today. Some people even buy adult costumes of kaidan characters and perform on stage to thrill audiences.
Article written by Janice D. McDonald