Yotsuya Kaidan

'Yotsuya Kaidan (四つ谷怪談) is a Japanese ghost story. It tells the story of a woman named Oiwa, who was married to a masterless samurai (Ronin) named Iemon. Although the couple was poor, Oiwa was happy because she was going to have a baby. Iemon, however, hated his poverty. One day, Iemon met a rich man who promised him a job, on the condition that he marry the rich man's daughter. Iemon accepted, and conspired with the rich man to kill Oiwa. He ordered his servant to put poison in his wife's meals, and day by day Oiwa became sicker and sicker. She gradually became weak, lost her hair, and the right side of her face deformed due to the poison. After this she was treated cruelly by the people around her, and she died bitter and spiteful of all the people who abused her.

After Oiwa's death, she returned to haunt Iemon and his wife, as well as all the people who treated her cruelly. Eventually everyone who mistreated her died a strange death. Even today, before putting on a play of the Yotsuya Kaidan story, or filming a movie about the story, some people in Japan go to pray at the Myogyoji Temple, where Oiwa is said to be buried. Several accidents at theaters and on film sets have been blamed on Oiwa's vengeful spirit.

References

"Yotsuya Kaidan". February 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)

"Yotsuya-Kaidan, A Japanese Ghost Story". TOPICS online magazine. February 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)