Bancho Sarayashiki
Bancho Sarayashiki is a spooky story from Japanese folklore that tells the tale of a young servant girl named Okiku, who worked in the house of a high-ranking Samurai. One day, the Samurai noticed Okiku's beauty and asked her to become his lover, but Okiku refused because she was already in love with someone else.
In anger, the Samurai decided to trick Okiku by hiding one of the precious plates in her care and accusing her of stealing it. Frightened and desperate, Okiku searched every room in the house but couldn't find the missing plate. The Samurai ordered her to confess, threatening to kill her if she didn't. Despite her protests, Okiku was thrown into a well where she died.
After her death, strange things began to happen in the house. Every night, the sound of footsteps could be heard from a room where the porcelain plates were kept. When the Samurai investigated, he found that one of the plates was missing. This continued for several nights until, one night, the Samurai finally saw Okiku's ghost counting the plates one by one.
This ghostly sighting gave rise to the Bancho Sarayashiki story, and the house where Okiku used to work became known as the "Bancho Palace". Today, it is said that Okiku's ghost still haunts that house and can be heard counting the plates every night.
In anger, the Samurai decided to trick Okiku by hiding one of the precious plates in her care and accusing her of stealing it. Frightened and desperate, Okiku searched every room in the house but couldn't find the missing plate. The Samurai ordered her to confess, threatening to kill her if she didn't. Despite her protests, Okiku was thrown into a well where she died.
After her death, strange things began to happen in the house. Every night, the sound of footsteps could be heard from a room where the porcelain plates were kept. When the Samurai investigated, he found that one of the plates was missing. This continued for several nights until, one night, the Samurai finally saw Okiku's ghost counting the plates one by one.
This ghostly sighting gave rise to the Bancho Sarayashiki story, and the house where Okiku used to work became known as the "Bancho Palace". Today, it is said that Okiku's ghost still haunts that house and can be heard counting the plates every night.