播磨皿屋敷：数盘子数到第九只，就开始哭

Japan has a very famous well inside Himeji Castle, called Okiku Well.

The legend goes like this: long ago, there was a maid named Okiku who worked in the house of a vassal in the castle. The master had ten very precious plates, a set of ten; if one was missing, the set was incomplete. Okiku was responsible for washing and keeping them.

There was a vassal in the household who wanted Okiku, but was rejected. He bore a grudge, and taking advantage of no one being around, secretly hid one of the plates. The next day, Okiku counted them: nine plates. She searched the whole house, but could not find it. The master flew into a rage, saying she had lost the plates, or done it on purpose. No matter what Okiku said, no one believed her. She was beaten, tortured, and finally thrown into the well.

From then on, every night, a woman's voice would come from the well, counting plates: one, two, three... counting to the ninth, then stopping, followed by a long bout of weeping. Anyone who heard it could not sleep.

There are many versions of this story. Some say the maid was framed by a vassal who wanted to take advantage of her; some say it was the master's wife who was jealous. Several cities across Japan claim this happened in their place, and Tokyo also has a 'Bancho Dish Mansion,' with roughly the same story but different details. It has also been adapted into kabuki, plays, and movies.

There is now a well in Himeji Castle called 'Okiku Well,' surrounded by an iron fence and covered. Tourists who go there mostly take a look.

#Ghosts #网络转载 #日本怪谈