The Ghost Story of Okiku

Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (Taiso) 1839-1892

Item #
87188

Title
New Forms of Thirty-six Ghosts - Shingata (Shinkei) Sanju Rokkai Sen - Ghost Okiku

Sold
$1,300 - 5/30/2021

Ghost Stories are a prevalent theme in Japanese woodblock prints. Among these tales, the story of Okiku, an ill-fated servant maid, stands out as one of the most renowned. This haunting narrative has been adapted into a Kabuki play and has inspired numerous novels.

Bancho Sarayashiki

In the kabuki play Bancho Sarayashiki, Okiku serves as a maid in the mansion of the Japanese samurai Tessan Aoyama. Despite the samurai's attempts to seduce her, Okiku steadfastly rejects his advances. Aoyama employs a deceitful tactic by concealing one of ten valuable Dutch plates, then threatens Okiku with exposure, claiming she stole the plate, unless she consents to becoming his mistress. In despair, Okiku tragically throws herself into a well and drowns.

Each night, Okiku's ghost emerges, counting from one to nine before erupting into sorrowful wails and howls. The relentless nightly apparitions drive Aoyama to insanity.

Different Versions of the Ghost Story of Okiku

Variations of the ghost story of Okiku abound, yet they share a common thread: the spectral figure emerging from the well, counting from one to nine before succumbing to heart-rending sobs.

In one version, Okiku accidentally breaks a plate and faces fatal consequences at the hands of her master, who discards her lifeless body into the well.

Another rendition implicates Aoyama's wife in the plate's destruction. In an attempt to conceal her misdeed, she casts the shattered plate into the well, falsely accusing Okiku of theft. Similarly, she meets a tragic end, punished and thrown into the well by her husband.

An alternate conclusion to the story involves a friend of the Aoyama family. To halt the nightly sobbing, this individual stands ready at the well during the haunting ritual. When Okiku concludes her count at nine, the friend interjects loudly, proclaiming "ten." Thereafter, the ghost of Okiku is said to have vanished without a trace.

The Himeji Castle Version

Among the attractions at Himeji Castle is the renowned Okiku's well. According to the Himeji rendition, Okiku served as a maid to Aoyama, a retainer who schemed against his lord. Upon overhearing this treacherous plot, Okiku revealed the conspiracy to her lover, a loyal warrior, thereby thwarting the scheme.

Upon discovering that Okiku had foiled his plans, Aoyama sought retribution. Falsely accusing her of stealing one of ten precious dishes, he subjected her to torturous means before ultimately killing her and casting her lifeless body into the well.

Okiku's well at Himeji Castle competes with another claimed well location—the garden of the Canadian embassy in Tokyo, situated on land purchased from the Aoyama family. It seems there are numerous locations purportedly linked to the tragic tale of the well-connected to Okiku, as varied as the versions of her story.

All iterations of the ghost story of Okiku share a harrowing theme—a grievously unjust and brutal treatment inflicted upon a disadvantaged girl from the lower classes. However, unlike the vengeful theme in the ghost story of Yotsuya, retribution against the tormentor is not a predominant Leitmotiv, except in one variation of the tale.

Shinkei Sanju-roku Kai Sen - 36 New Ghosts

Among the renowned ukiyo-e artists, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (1839-1892) stands prominently for his depictions of ghostly subjects. Yoshitoshi held firm convictions in the existence of ghosts, claiming personal encounters with supernatural apparitions throughout his life.

One of Yoshitoshi's prints, titled The Ghost of Okiku at the Dish Mansion, belonged to the series known as Shinkei Sanju-roku Kai Sen. This series, alongside One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, marked Yoshitoshi's final artistic endeavors before his passing. Published from 1889 to 1892, the series is known by various English translations such as New Selection of 36 Apparitions or Thirty-six New Ghosts.

In his later years, Yoshitoshi predominantly drew inspiration from Japan's rich cultural heritage and history. His artistic choices served as an impassioned plea to his fellow countrymen, urging them not to forsake their traditional values in favor of the Western modernization that characterized the Meiji period.