Japanese Ghost Stories - The Demon's Arm (Ogre of Rashomon)

Summertime is ghost-time in Japan. It's time to tell scary stories in order combat the summer's heat with the cold chill that only ghost stories can bring.

This story is a version of the Ogre of Rashomon as the story is named in Yei Theodora Ozaki's Japanese Fairy Tales. I however refer to the titular creature as a demon based on the Japanese word "oni" which is demon/devil.

Rashomon is a gate that once stood in Kyoto that lapsed into disrepair and became a place of ill repute. According to legend a demon took up residence there and snatched up passer-bys. Eventually it bit off more than it could chew when it tried to grab a samurai.

The photos were taken by me of the temple gate of Zojo-ji Temple in Tokyo, a shot of a float from the Nebuta festival of Aomori showing a samurai fighting a demon (Raiko and Shuten-doji), and a depiction of the story on a float at the Neputa Festival in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture. The other images are 19th Century woodblock (ukiyoe) prints.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Japan
• ghost
• scary
• haunted
• ghosts
• ghost stories
• Japanese ghost stories
• storytelling
• demons
• devils
• ogre of rashomon
• Ronin Dave
• Japanese culture
• samurai
• watanabe no tsuna
• culture

[donayre21]

No pictures just a guys face,it get boring

[RoninDave]

@donayre21 there are pictures. probably not enough explosions for your simple mind

[JpnMusic137]

You scared the crap out of me and my friend when you yelled IT IS MINE!!! It's almost 4 and we both yelled at the top of our lungs and woke up the people that lived below me xD They just came up to our door to ask if we were ok ROFL

[RoninDave]

@JpnMusic137 lol! sorry about that!

[tanukisan666]

Taihen kowai desu, nee! (But Dave, you need to add at least one hot chick to your videos...) (:

[RoninDave]

@tanukisan666 i might try with one I have planned if I can find one that won't be scared

[Jimaera]

Lol... clever little stunt with the Hannya mask. Love these stories, Dave, good to see a vid from you again.

[cuteknot9]

The first time of my life I cried of fear. Thank u 4 scarying da life out of me

[UmbraSomnium1]

I will give you credit, you scared me shitless with the mask.

Phew. That's a good ghost story

[Tenchi10]

@RoninDave Hahahaha that's true, and it looks like I am the only person in the world who sees that they destroyed Sherlock Holmes in favor of a thin, good-looking doctor (not a mildly over-weight older one) and explosions that make no sense to be there in a Holmes movie.

Sometimes the old retelling of stories is better. :)

[RezGhostsGaming]

I alway think of japanese demons as 'Hollows'

[KitsuneShapeShifter]

Very intresting. The Hannya mask surprised me, but I liked it alot. Intresting story, and I like that the oni won in the end.

[TripleJCosplay]

You have a wonderful voice for story telling.

[xXDEADxWINGXx]

Omg i fuckin fell off my chair bcause of that!!! XD

[CloneSaiga]

Excuse me while i change my pants.