While many countries in the West celebrate all things spooky during Halloween, the season for ghost stories in Japan is in summer. This tradition is connected to Obon, the Buddhist festival of the dead, which happens annually in mid-August. During this time it’s believed that ancestral spirits return to visit their families. The other common belief is that a scary ghost story provides enough chills to cool you down during the humid summer.
Perhaps it’s the combination of both beliefs that this exhibition is held annually in August at Zenshian temple to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Sanyutei Encho. Encho was a rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) performer during the 19th century, who collected a large number of yurei-ga as reference to create his popular horror classics. Yurei-ga are prints or paintings depicting ghosts, demons and other supernatural creatures, and most of the 30 artworks on display here are his personal collection from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The exhibition takes place daily from 10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm).