![]() It soon became a place of legends and local myths, with children claiming that any man brave enough to last a night alone in Mokurenji would be rewarded with an evening of pleasure with the most beautiful woman in the village.ĭuring one autumn festival, a travelling peddler by the name of Yoshimaru passed through the village.Īfter the festival, a group of local merry drunks made a bet with the peddler that he couldn’t last the night inside the temple. More whispers were told about the temple and why it had been abandoned. No monk tended the temple, but there were frequent whispers of a fox, or perhaps a tanuki, roaming the temple grounds. The Mokurenji (Temple of Many Eyes) had been abandoned for as long as anyone could remember. This is one of many Japanese ghost stories about the mokumokuren yokai. The mokumokuren yokai is said to haunt the shoji screens and tatami mats of Japanese homes and temples. The EyesĪ classic yokai of Japanese ghost stories is the mokumokuren (or “many eyes”) whose origin may be traced back to scholar, poet, and artist Toriyama Sekien. The ogre loses her balance and crashes to the ground, her blood seeping into the roots of the tree. When the ogre gives chase and makes it halfway up the tree, the boys rain down stones on her head. The two remaining sons flee the house and gather up armfuls of stones before climbing a nearby tree, so tall it might reach the heavens. She reaches out and snatches the middle son, devouring him quickly. There, filling the doorframe, is the ogre woman. When the middle son asks to see her hand, he sees through the crack only a soft, delicate white hand. The middle son asks: “Who’s there?” The voice of a woman answers: “It’s your mother. On the third night, there is one more knock at the door. Through the crack in the door, the son spies a weathered hand with long fingers, covered in coarse hair. When the youngest son asks: “Who’s there?” A silky, soft woman’s voice answers: “I am a friend of your mother’s, here to deliver a message.” “Show me your hand”, says the youngest son. The next night, there comes another knock at the door. ![]() When the oldest son reaches the door, he asks: “Who’s there?” The ragged voice of a woman says: “I am your neighbour and I desperately need help.” The oldest son refuses to open the door, believing it to be the ogre woman in disguise. That night, there comes a knock at the door. Once the mother has given her warning, she leaves. If she knows that the boys are home alone, she will come knocking. It was known to everyone in the area that a man-eating ogre woman lived in the dense forest near the mountain’s peak. One day, the mother tells her sons that she must go away for a short while, and that they must keep the door closed, no matter who comes knocking. This is one of many Japanese ghost stories about one such mountain-dwelling ogre woman.Īt the base of a large mountain lived a family with three sons. Many of the yokai to populate Japanese ghost stories are those of women, and one popular rural yokai takes the shape of a man-eating ogre ( oni) woman who is said to reside in the wild mountains. This is one of the most popular and renowned Japanese ghost stories ever told. When nobody would even visit the home, much less buy it, his family fell into ruin, just as the monk had warned. The fear consumed the sick and weak Masaimon, and he fell dead from the shock, leaving the house silent and unwanted. ![]() When he woke, the shoji screens on every side were quaking, followed by echoes of childish laughter and the question repeating itself: “Are you dead? Are you dead? Are you dead?” When the ghost child showed itself, it was soaking wet from top to bottom, dripping water onto the floor. It also came from above and asked Masaimon: “Are you dead? Are you dead?” Droplets of water fell on Masaimon’s head and the voice warned him: “Limbo is very cold”. When they at last fell silent, the footsteps were replaced by a voice. Bedridden, Masaimon was visited by the sound of light and quick footsteps from above. The monk’s words wouldn’t leave him and, soon, his dread and anxiety turned to fever and sickness. Masaimon was left feeling shaken, confused, and frightened. He lived well, and his family had a home and enough money to live.īut one day, a travelling monk approached Masaimon and warned him that he would soon fall into complete ruin, with no money left for his family. Masaimon was beloved by the other villages for his friendly, sweet nature. Many, many centuries ago, in an unassuming Iwate village, there lived a kind, lovable man named Masaimon. Those abandoned, dead children would eventually come to haunt homes in the region as zashiki warashi. Before we begin this, one of the most famous Japanese ghost stories, a note on the Japanese ghosts known as zashiki warashi (parlour children): In Japan’s Tohoku region, poor families would often abandon children they could not afford to raise, leaving them to die.
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