Okiku and the Nine Plates
A servant girl was thrown down a well after being falsely accused of losing a precious plate. Each night, her ghost emerges and counts: 'One... two... three...' up to nine. Then she screams in despair. Her well is still there.
The story of Okiku is one of Japan’s most famous ghost tales.
The Story
According to historical legend, Okiku was a beautiful servant at Himeji Castle who was trusted with ten precious heirloom plates. Her master desired her romantically, setting in motion a tragic chain of events.
The Accusation
When Okiku refused her master’s advances, he took cruel revenge by hiding one of the ten plates and then accusing her of losing it. Death was the prescribed punishment for such a transgression, and she was thrown down a well to die.
The Haunting
Each night, Okiku’s ghost emerges from the well and counts the plates in a mournful voice: “One… two… three…” continuing up to nine. Unable to find the tenth plate, she screams in anguish before returning to the well’s depths.
The Counting
The haunting follows an unchanging pattern. At the same time each night, Okiku performs her desperate counting, forever missing the tenth plate she never actually lost. She never finds it, screams in despair, and returns to the well only to repeat the cycle the following night.
The Well
Okiku’s Well still exists at Himeji Castle and is a featured stop on castle tours. Visitors can peer into the ancient well where the servant girl died. People report hearing strange sounds emanating from the well, especially at night when the ghost is said to be most active.
The Solution
In one version of the legend, a compassionate monk waited by the well and shouted “TEN!” at the precise moment when Okiku reached nine. Upon hearing the final count, Okiku’s spirit finally found peace, the set of plates complete at last. She never returned to haunt the well again.
Cultural Impact
The story has inspired numerous kabuki plays and film adaptations over the centuries. The iconic image of a vengeful female ghost emerging from a well, famously depicted in “The Ring,” draws directly from Okiku’s legend. Her tale remains central to Japanese horror tradition and endures as one of the country’s most recognizable ghost stories.