Once upon a time, in the grand halls of Himeji Castle, there lived a beautiful servant girl named Okiku. Her name, meaning “chrysanthemum,” was as delicate and lovely as the flower itself.
But behind her beauty lay a tragic fate, one that would see her transform from a humble dishwashing girl into a vengeful ghost, forever etched in the annals of Japan’s most haunting tales.
Okiku worked tirelessly, ensuring the castle’s kitchens were always stocked with gleaming plates and fine dishes. Among these dishes, there was a set of ten exquisite plates, each more valuable than the last. It was not long before her beauty caught the eye of a samurai named Aoyama, a retainer of her master.
Consumed by desire, Aoyama sought to win Okiku’s affection. But each time he approached her, Okiku firmly rejected his advances, remaining steadfast in her loyalty and virtue.
Frustrated by her constant refusals, Aoyama devised a cruel trick to force her hand. One day, he hid one of the ten precious plates and summoned O-ki-ku.
With a feigned sense of urgency, he claimed that one of the lord’s fine dishes was missing. A look of terror spread across Okiku’s face; losing even one plate was a grave offense, punishable by death. Panic-stricken, she rushed to count the dishes.
“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9” No matter how many times she counted, she always came up one short.
Seeing her distress, Aoyama seized the moment. He cruelly offered her a choice: if she became his mistress, he would spare her from the wrath of his master. But despite the looming threat, Okiku’s resolve remained unbroken, and she once again refused his advances.
Enraged by her defiance, Aoyama unleashed his fury. He commanded his servants to beat her with a wooden sword and then had her tied above the dark depths of the castle well.
As she hung there, he tormented her, repeatedly plunging her into the well’s icy water, only to yank her back to the surface, laughing at her despair. “Become my mistress!” he demanded one final time. But Okiku, brave to the last, refused once more. In a fit of rage, Aoyama struck her down with his sword, and her lifeless body fell into the depths of the well.
But death did not silence Okiku. Soon after, her ghost began to wander the castle grounds, restless and seeking vengeance. Night after night, she rose from the depths of the well, searching for the lost plate. She would enter the lord’s house, counting the dishes aloud, her voice echoing through the empty halls:
“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9” But after counting to nine, a piercing scream would erupt from her throat, chilling the blood of all who heard it. Aoyama, haunted by his actions, was tormented in turn, robbed of his sleep as he lay in fear of her nightly visits.
Those unfortunate enough to hear part of Okiku’s counting fell gravely ill, while those who heard her reach the end of her count succumbed to death soon after. Her haunting presence spread fear and sorrow throughout Himeji Castle, a relentless reminder of the horror that had transpired.
The lord of the castle, desperate to end the haunting, summoned a priest to intervene. The priest, wise in the ways of the spirit world, agreed to perform a rite to exorcise Okiku’s ghost. That night, he took his place in the garden, chanting sutras to calm the restless spirit.
As the moon rose high in the sky, Okiku’s ghost emerged from the well once more. She began her mournful counting: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9” Just as her sorrowful lament reached its crescendo, the priest shouted with urgency, “TEN!”
In that moment, a profound relief washed over Okiku’s spirit. Someone had finally acknowledged her plight and recognized the missing plate. With that, the haunting ceased, and Okiku’s spirit found peace, never again to wander the castle grounds. Thus, the story of Okiku, the girl who became a vengeful ghost, is forever remembered—a chilling reminder of love, betrayal, and the quest for justice that transcends even death itself.