The setting often plays a big role in making the stories scary. Japan has a lot of beautiful yet eerie natural landscapes. When these are used as the backdrop for ghost stories, like the mist - covered mountains or the dense forests, it adds to the overall sense of horror. For instance, in stories set in the Aokigahara Forest, the thick forest itself seems to be a character, hiding all kinds of terrors.
The connection to daily life. Many of these stories are set in ordinary places like old houses or small villages. It makes people think that such spooky things could happen anywhere. Like the story of Okiku in a normal household, it makes the horror seem closer to home.
The unexpected presence is really scary. For example, in many stories, people suddenly see a figure when they least expect it, like when they are alone in a quiet place at night.
The unknown is the scariest part. In real ghost stories, not knowing what the ghost is or why it's there. For example, in the story of the old house ghost, you don't know the woman's story or what she wants. It could be revenge or just lost and wandering.
In the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, there are tales of a ghostly apparition on a particular mountain pass. Hikers have reported seeing a figure that looks like an ancient warrior. It's said that this spirit haunts the pass because he died in a battle there long ago. The scariest part is that some hikers have said they felt a cold chill pass through them as the figure got closer, and their compasses went haywire, as if the spirit was interfering with the magnetic fields.
A man once worked late in an old office building. As he was walking down the hallway, he saw a transparent figure floating towards him. He froze in fear and then ran out of the building. He never went back there alone at night again.
The sense of the unknown. In Kerala ghost stories, often the apparitions just appear without warning. For example, in the story of the haunted house, people don't know when the white figure will show up.
The scariest part is the unknown. In many stories, things just happen without any explanation. For example, objects moving on their own.
The scariest element in many Indian ghost stories is often the unknown. For example, in the Bhangarh Fort story, no one really knows what exactly causes the strange noises and apparitions. It's the mystery that sends shivers down the spine.
The sudden appearances are really scary. Like a figure popping up out of nowhere on a desolate road when a trucker least expects it. It gives them no time to prepare mentally.
The scariest elements often involve a sense of dread and the connection to the past. Take the Lady in White at Loftus Hall. The fact that she made a pact with the devil and is still haunting the place is really spooky. It makes you think about the evil that might have been done there in the past. Also, in the stories of the ghostly coach, the mystery surrounding it, not knowing its origin or destination, is what makes it so frightening. It could just show up out of nowhere while you're on a lonely road at night.