Okiku and the Well of Himeji Castle
At Himeji Castle, a well is said to echo with a woman's voice counting plates, one to nine, then a sob for the tenth.
What was reported
Banchō Sarayashiki, 'the dish mansion', is one of Japan's most famous ghost stories, told in kabuki and puppet plays since the 18th century. In the best-known version, a servant named Okiku is blamed for losing one of ten precious plates and is killed and thrown into a well. Ever after, her ghost is heard at night counting the plates, one to nine, then crying for the missing tenth.
Himeji Castle has a well called Okiku's Well that's linked to the story, and visitors still peer into it.
Explanations offered
The tale exists in many versions set in different places, including Edo (Tokyo), so no single real event lies behind it. It's a story of injustice and grief. An outbreak of insects in the region in 1795 was even blamed on her, and the insects became known as okiku-mushi.
- When
- Told since the 1700s
- Where
- Himeji Castle, Hyōgo, Japan
- Witnesses
- Japanese stage tradition, and castle visitors
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.