Cooper Baltis - Japanese Ghost Stories: A collection of ghost stories for English Language Learners

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Part One

The ghost is upstairs, the woman of the house said.

I smiled. World War Two was over, and the entire country of Japan was being rebuilt. The ghosts of old would soon be replaced with the ghosts of new.

Show me the way, I said to the woman, whose name was Kaori.

Id come to Japan as a missionary as a missionary in 1947, after World War II ended. I knew it would be a lot of work, especially since the country had been heavily damaged during the war, but I didnt expect to have to deal with ghosts.

Just up here, Kaori said, her hand on her back. She hobbled up the stairs in front of me, taking one step at a time.

A brutal rain plinked against the clay roof of her house. I could hear thunder outside signifying the worst was yet to come.

You are a priest, right? Kaori asked as we approached a sliding door upstairs.

Yes, you know that, I said in Japanese. Why do you ask?

What I am about to show you is very. very she licked her lips. It is very frightening.

Im sure it is, Kaori-san.

I wasnt one for superstitions and I figured a simple prayer would make Kaori feel better. There was always a ghost or a demon that needed to be dealt with in Japan. Usually, the Japanese went to monks to handle these affairs. Occasionally, they came to someone like me, a Catholic priest.

But you are Christian, she reminded me, and this is a Japanese ghost.

Ghosts will always be ghosts, I said. No matter where theyre from. Besides, you called me.

The monk I wanted to call was busy. Kaori didnt say this in a rude way; she said it in a matter-of-fact way.

I laughed. Well, I suppose I will do until the monk is free.

She stopped in front of the door and looked me over. Her eyes traveled from the Bible in my hand to my dark robes. Once she was satisfied, she said, OK, get ready.

Im as ready as Ill ever be.

Kaori slid the door open. You go inside first.

I stepped inside the room and nearly jumped out of my skin. A ghastly woman stood in the corner, her hair long and her body frail. She was floating in the air, about half a meter off the ground. Her eyes were staring down at a dresser made of finely carved Japanese wood.

Jesus I started to say.

The ghastly women looked from the dresser to me, slowly, in a way that nearly froze my heart. Her eyes looked from my face to the Bible in my hands. I dropped the book after I noticed what was on her neck a large gash stretched from ear to ear.

I I

A hand fell on my back, startling me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Kaori.

What what happened to her? I asked as I bent over to pick up my Bible. Trying to gain my composure, I ran my hands along the front of my robes, straightening them.

I dont know, Kaori said.

Is she violent?

No. She just stands there, looking at the dresser.

When did she appear?

A week ago. My husband bought the dresser at an estate sale. Shes been here ever since.

I turned back to the ghost. Hello I called out.

Her eyes returned to the dresser.

Have you checked the dresser? I asked.

No, Kaori said. Every time I go near it, she

What does she do?

Go to the dresser and see for yourself, Kaori said.

I took a step towards the dresser with my hands in front of me. I mean you no harm, I told the woman.

Once I was close to the dresser, the ghastly womans eyes locked on me. They narrowed and she bared her teeth. Bloodstains appeared on her body. My stomach turned just seeing her bleed.

Oh my

Thats what she does, Kaori said. If you get any closer shell hiss at you.

As slowly as possible, I took off the cross that hung around my neck and held it in front of me. I began praying for the power of God to help me.

That wont help, Kaori said.

If you know a better way, why did you call me? I was getting tired of Kaoris comments.

The ghostly woman hissed; a loud horrible sound that filled the room with the gasps of the dead. I stumbled backwards.

Your cross wont help because she isnt possessed, Kaori said. She isnt a demon

What? Why are you telling me what to do? If you know how I suddenly felt very foolish. Here I was debating with an older Japanese woman about ghosts. I put my cross back around my neck. What do you think I should do? I asked, humbling myself.

You should ask her what she wants.

I looked up at the ghostly woman. She had again returned her gaze to dresser, as if it held some secret.

Have you tried writing her a letter? I asked.

No

Lets try that, I said. If that doesnt work, Ill contact someone from one of the other churches.

Part Two

That night, I thought long and hard about what I should do with the ghost. I sat in my study, which was next to my bedroom at the back of the church, looking through the notebook of a priest who used to live in the church. He had been in Kyoto for many years and had kept extensive notes about his interactions with local people.

I read each page, running my finger along the text looking for certain words. Most of the passages were about the passing of seasons as well as the aftermath of World War Two. Finally, at around two in the morning, I came across a passage with the words possible ghost underlined. I immediately read it twice:

12 April 1946

Possible ghost.

I visited a home today on the western side of Kyoto, near the Imperial Gardens. The house was exceedingly cold, much colder than any of the places Id been to since the end of winter. The Ogawa family told me that their daughter stabbed herself with a knife in their living room, next to an old dresser handed down from the mothers side of the family. The dresser, which the family still hadnt washed, was covered in blood. There were scratch marks on it that seemed indecipherable.

The family told me that they believe their daughters ghost was haunting the dresser. Id never heard of such a thing, but I performed a few rituals anyway. I asked why the daughter had killed herself and they said they didnt know, that they had come home to find her dead, with a knife in her hand. Personally, I didnt see anything that resembled a ghost. I did, however, hear a strange hissing sound when I approached the dresser.

After scanning the rest of the old priests notes, and not finding anything, I closed the book and went to bed. I needed to return to Kaoris in the morning to see about this hissing ghost.

I was almost asleep when the image of the ghost came to me. The blood boiled out of her like lava, turning black as it stained her clothing. Not able to make the image go away, I began praying. I was only able to sleep after a few hours of prayer. Even then, my sleep was light and restless. The dresser I knew the ghosts appearance had something to do with the dresser.

Part Three

I arrived at Kaoris home at ten oclock the following morning. Her husband was gone and she was alone, aside from an old cat twisting through her legs.

I have an idea, I said instead of hello.

Would you like some tea? she asked. Or some bread? I bought it fresh from the bakery this morning. The baker is an old friend of mine. He always keeps a fresh loaf just for me.