KyotoDreamTrips
White Heron Castle of Himeji.
Ghost stories at Himeji castle, read on: Okiku Well (お菊井戸) is said to be the well that features in the ghost story known as Banchō Sarayashiki (番町皿屋敷-The Dish Mansion at Banchō).
Around the year 1500, Aoyama Tetsuzan (鉄山), the regent to the lord of Himeji castle, Kodera Norimoto (小寺則職 -1495年－1576年), plotted with Chōnotsubo Danshirō (町坪弾四朗) to kill Norimoto and take over the castle. Noromoto’s loyal retainer, Kinugasa Motonobu, arranged for Okiku to serve as a maid in the Aoyama’s house to ascertain his plans. Having learned of the would be assassins plot to kill Norimoto, Okiku passed word to Motonobu. This allowed Norimoto to escape death by fleeing to the island of Ieshima (Himeji City), but Tetsuzan seized control of the castle. After learning of Okiku’s actions, Danshirō forced her into marriage in exchange for sparing her life, but yearning for Motonobu, Okiku turned Danshirō down. Unable to bear Okiku’s rejection, Danshirō hid one of the ten plates that were treasured possessions of the Aoyama family, and framed Okiku for the theft. Nevertheless Okiku still failed to accept his advances, so Danshirō slew her and threw her body down a well.
Legend tells that ever since, the voice of Okiku containg the nine remaining plates over and over again could be heard coming from this well. “One plate, two plates, three plates….” Motonobu and his companions eventually destroyed Tetsuzan and his conspirators, and Okiku was enshrined in Junisho Shrine as Okiku Daimyōjin.
White Heron Castle of Himeji.
Ghost stories at Himeji castle, read on: Okiku Well (お菊井戸) is said to be the well that features in the ghost story known as Banchō Sarayashiki (番町皿屋敷-The Dish Mansion at Banchō).
Around the year 1500, Aoyama Tetsuzan (鉄山), the regent to the lord of Himeji castle, Kodera Norimoto (小寺則職 -1495年－1576年), plotted with Chōnotsubo Danshirō (町坪弾四朗) to kill Norimoto and take over the castle. Noromoto’s loyal retainer, Kinugasa Motonobu, arranged for Okiku to serve as a maid in the Aoyama’s house to ascertain his plans. Having learned of the would be assassins plot to kill Norimoto, Okiku passed word to Motonobu. This allowed Norimoto to escape death by fleeing to the island of Ieshima (Himeji City), but Tetsuzan seized control of the castle. After learning of Okiku’s actions, Danshirō forced her into marriage in exchange for sparing her life, but yearning for Motonobu, Okiku turned Danshirō down. Unable to bear Okiku’s rejection, Danshirō hid one of the ten plates that were treasured possessions of the Aoyama family, and framed Okiku for the theft. Nevertheless Okiku still failed to accept his advances, so Danshirō slew her and threw her body down a well.
Legend tells that ever since, the voice of Okiku containg the nine remaining plates over and over again could be heard coming from this well. “One plate, two plates, three plates….” Motonobu and his companions eventually destroyed Tetsuzan and his conspirators, and Okiku was enshrined in Junisho Shrine as Okiku Daimyōjin.