Japan
- Amiidaji (Temple of Amida) in Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait, is the location of a legendary haunting. It is said that the blind Biwa hōshi Hoichi, a resident of the temple, was visited every night by the ghost of a dead samurai and made to play the biwa in the cemetery, but the priest of the temple soon found out and had the heart sutra painted on every part of Hoichi's body apart from the ears. When the samurai returned one night to take Hoichi to the cemetery, he could only see Hoichi's ears, so he took them instead and Hoichi was left earless. Hoichi is commonly known as "Mimi-Nashi Hoichi", "Hōichi the Earless", due to this event. This legend was famously retold by Lafcadio Hearn in his Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things which was later adapted as part of Masaki Kobayashi's film Kwaidan.
- Aokigahara, the forest at the bottom of Mt. Fuji, is a popular location for suicide. This gives rise to a widespread belief that it is haunted. It was once featured on an episode of Destination Truth on the SyFy Channel.
- Okiku's Well at Himeji Castle is often said to be haunted by the ghost of Okiku. She is supposed to rise from the well at night and count to nine before shrieking and returning to the well.
Read more about this topic: List Of Reportedly Haunted Locations In The World
Famous quotes containing the word japan:
“I do not know that the United States can save civilization but at least by our example we can make people think and give them the opportunity of saving themselves. The trouble is that the people of Germany, Italy and Japan are not given the privilege of thinking.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)