We went to Himeji Castle.
The main reason for going there was to find Okiku's Well.
Which we did.
The well is described in a famous Japanese ghost story 番町皿屋敷 (Banchosarayashiki "Dish Mansion at Bancho') which I read about a long time ago. This is one of the ghost stories that Ringu has taken inspiration from.
It is said that around 1500, Tessan Aoyama (cheif retainer of the Lord of Himeji Castle) plotted against the said Lord. A maidservant of Aoyama's, Kiku, knew of the plot and warned someone of the Lord's danger. Of course, the plot failed. Aoyama and his follower charged Kiku falsely, with losing a valuable dish of which there were 9. They then killed her and threw her body down the well.
Every night her sad voice could be heard from the well, counting the dishes. "One.. two.. three.. four.. five.. six.. seven.. eight.." when she got to the ninth dish, which wasn't there, she would wail.
After Aoyama was defeated, Kiku was enshrined as a Goddess in Junisho shrine, and it is said that her voice has never been heard in the well since.
But the animals were in very small cages and I didn't like it at all.
Then we had a beer with Fordy.
Did you find Samara down that well?
ReplyDeleteNo, but I did find your dad. I asked him why he was there and not in Gorton Resevoir. He said he fancied a change of scenery.
ReplyDelete