Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
9 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
11 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
12 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Kasane-ga-fuchi
AO Edited

Kasane-ga-fuchi

The eerie, tragic setting of one of Japan’s most popular ghost stories.

Joso, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The funerary stelae of Kiku, Rui, and Suke.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The funerary stelae of Kiku, Rui, and Suke.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The grave of Rui – better known as Kasane.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The graves at Hozo-ji Temple.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The gravesite of Kasane’s family.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Kasane-ga-fuchi part of the Kinugawa River.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Japanese folklore and popular culture are fond of ghost stories, often focusing on their tragic, melodramatic aspects. There is even a "big three" of Japanese ghost stories, which always includes Yotsuya Kaidan and Banchō Sarayashiki, while the third place usually goes to either Botan Dōrō or Kasane-ga-fuchi.

With the exception of Botan Dōrō, which was adapted from a Chinese story, these ghost stories revolve around real-life figures in feudal Japan, set in actual locations in and around Tokyo. Kasane-ga-fuchi is the only location outside Tokyo and can be found in Joso City, give or take two hours away. It refers to an "abyss" of the Kinugawa River running at the back of Hōzō-ji Temple, named after a local girl who met a tragic demise.

The story of Kasane was first recorded in the 17th century and is purported to have been based on a true story that transpired between 1612 and 1672. It was later popularized through numerous kabuki and rakugo adaptations. In 1924, the story was adapted into a silent film and has since been remade at least half a dozen times.

According to the popular version of the story, a widowed farmer named Yoemon lived in the village of Hanyu with his second wife Osugi, who had a disabled and disfigured daughter named Suke. Yoemon hated the girl so much that he snapped and pushed her into the river one day, leaving her to drown.

The following year, Yoemon and Osugi had a daughter and named her Rui, but she grew up to be the spitting image of Suke, so the villagers started to call her "Kasane," another reading of the kanji character for Rui which means "layer." Years later, Kasane cared for a sick drifter named Yagoro and married him once he recovered.

Yagoro, however, was not exactly fond of his "ugly" wife and brutally murdered her. He immediately remarried—again and again. After the next five wives died of mysterious causes, he finally had a daughter with his seventh wife and named her Kiku. The girl was possessed by the spirits of Kasane and Suke, who accused Yagoro of his sins. The famed Buddhist saint Yuten was called in and successfully exorcized the ghosts, putting the restless souls at peace.

The story has many variations, including a few in which Kasane is depicted as a beautiful woman to emphasize the tragedy. The original 17th-century text is mainly dedicated to the heroic deeds of Yūten the exorcist, and some scholars suggest that the work may have been nothing more than Buddhist propaganda.

No matter what the case is, the graves of Kasane (Rui), Suke, and Kiku do exist and can be visited at Hōzō-ji Temple, hinting that the tale might have been (at least partially) inspired by actual events after all. Or was it?

Related Tags

Graves Temples Folklore Haunted Ghost Stories Ghosts

Know Before You Go

To visit the former village of Hanyu by public transport, first head to Moriya Station and take the Kantetsu-Joso Line train to Kita-Mitsukaidō Station; from there, it's a 30-minute walk. The graves are given a special plot and easy to spot once you're inside the premises of Hōzō-ji. The Kasane-ga-fuchi abyss itself is an unremarkable bend of the Kinugawa River and difficult to distinguish.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

October 7, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Kasane-ga-fuchi
Joso, 300-2513
Japan
36.043245, 139.987103

Nearby Places

Honeybee Drinking Fountain

Joso, Japan

miles away

Haunted Acala Stele of Moriya

Moriya, Japan

miles away

Tone Canal Billiken Shrine

Nagareyama, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Honeybee Drinking Fountain

Joso, Japan

miles away

Haunted Acala Stele of Moriya

Moriya, Japan

miles away

Tone Canal Billiken Shrine

Nagareyama, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Related Places

  • Visit the site where Zona Heaster Shue, known as the Greenbrier Ghost, is buried.

    West Virginia

    Greenbrier Ghost of Sam Black Church

    Here lies Zona, whose ghostly testimony led to her husband’s murder conviction.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • A celebrated architectural feat, the Blennerhassett hotel was adorned with elaborate window treatments, frescoes, and even a passenger elevator.

    Parkersburg, West Virginia

    The (Haunted) Blennerhassett Hotel

    The oldest hotel in West Virginia is reportedly frequented by ghosts.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • Taunton, Massachusetts

    Her Vacant Chair

    This rocking chair headstone is allegedly haunted by the spirit of a young girl named Pearl.

  • A hokora (shrinelet) at Tamiya Shrine.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Oiwa Inari Shrines

    A pair of rivaling shrines dedicated to Lady Oiwa, the most famous vengeful ghost in Japan.

  • Singapore Grand Prix at Old Upper Thomson Road - Racing in progress on the track

    Singapore

    Devil's Bend (Old Upper Thomson Road)

    This sharp turn was once the most dangerous part of the Singapore Grand Prix circuit.

  • Trees in Dering wood

    Pluckley, England

    Dering Wood

    A woodland close to England's "most haunted village" has been the site of many unexplained events and deaths.

  • Merritt Island, Florida

    Georgiana Cemetery

    Believed to be haunted, this old cemetery is beautifully adorned with Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

  • The Mizpah Hotel

    Tonopah, Nevada

    The Mizpah Hotel

    In the middle of a remote desert town is a surprisingly opulent hotel.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.