The 13 True Japanese Horror Stories might include some really terrifying accounts. One type of story could be about haunted houses. These are places where strange noises are heard, and things move on their own. There could be stories of people who entered such houses and never came out the same, either driven mad by the experiences or disappearing completely. Also, there might be tales of dark magic and witchcraft practiced in secluded areas of Japan, with the consequences being horrifying events that befall the innocent.
The scariest aspect is probably the vengeful spirits. They are relentless in their pursuit of revenge. They can appear at any time, and there's no escaping them once they set their sights on you.
The story of Okiku is quite well - known. Okiku was a maid who was wronged and killed. Legend has it that her spirit haunts the place where she died. Her ghost is often associated with counting plates. It is said that every night, you can hear her counting plates, but she can never reach the last number as she was killed before she could finish her task. This story has been passed down for generations and has become a part of Japanese horror lore.
There is a story about Okiku's well. Okiku was a maid who worked in a samurai's house. She was falsely accused of breaking one of the ten valuable plates. In anger, the master tortured her and threw her into a well. Ever since, people claim to hear her counting the plates from the well at night, going up to nine and then a long, eerie silence follows.
A Japanese horror story involves a cursed doll. In an old antique store, there was a doll with a very strange appearance. The owner who bought it home started to experience a series of unlucky things. Objects would move on their own, and at night, there were strange noises. They would often see the doll in different positions as if it was alive. Eventually, the family had to get rid of the doll in a special way to break the curse.
We couldn't find any specific Japanese horror novel recommendations. The search results mentioned some content related to urban legends and horror novels, but did not provide specific recommendations. Therefore, we cannot answer this question.
Here are some recommended Japanese horror novels:
1. "Selection of Japanese Horror Fictions (Volume 1)": This book contains more than ten horror short stories written by a group of famous Japanese mystery writers before World War II. The design is exquisite, the atmosphere is dark, and at the same time, it combines elements of suspense and mystery. It is very fascinating.
2. "The Truth of the Bride" and "The Box of Moryo": These two novels were also recommended works."The Box of Moryo" had been adapted into an animation and could be watched on Bilibili.
3. "Really, it's so scary": This was a Japanese horror novel that Shimako Iwai had won. It was rated as a grand prize.
4. The Old Man in the Corner: Although the author's name was not provided, this book was also a recommended horror novel.
It should be noted that the books recommended above are filtered based on the search results provided. There may be other excellent Japanese horror novels that have not been mentioned.
Japanese horror novels often have a strong sense of the uncanny. They tend to use elements from Japanese folklore and superstition. For example, vengeful spirits like in 'Ju - on' are a common trope. They also focus on creating a very oppressive atmosphere. In 'Dark Water', the damp, gloomy setting of the apartment adds to the horror. Another characteristic is the exploration of psychological horror, as seen in 'Goth' where the abnormal minds of the characters play a big role.
Another one is the story of the Hanging Tree in some rural areas of Japan. It was said that many people were hanged on this tree in the past. At night, locals would see strange shadows around the tree, and some even claimed to hear the sounds of the nooses tightening.