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In 2002, the film The Ring had a tremendous impact on people. We all remember perfectly how that creepy girl crawled from the bottom of a well. But what not everyone knows about this spooky movie, is that it was based on an ancient Japanese legend and that in that creepy well, also exists…
During the 16th century, at Himeji Castle in Japan, a tenacious samurai named Tessan Aoyama developed an unusual love addiction with his servant, “Okiku“. The owner of the castle was willing to leave his wife and marry Okiku, he tried to convince this woman but she told him that she was not willing to be his mistress or his future wife.
Tessan Aoyama being a samurai with high pride, lost his sanity Okiku’s rejection and decided to set a trap that would take everything away from her. Aoyama threatened Okiku, accusing her of being a thief and stealing several valuable gold plates: her only two possible choices were either to become Aoyama’s wife or that she lost her life.
No matter what she chose she was condemned to be unhappy, but for her spending her life next to that mad man… so Okiku preferred to end her life, throwing herself into the castle’s well. There are different variations to this story, some say she was suffering inside the well until she eventually lost her life.
After his tragic event, the spirit of Okiku returned to seek revenge.
During the nights Tessan Aoyama would experience unsettling paranormal manifestations of the vengeful spirit of Okiku, the woman once he loved without measures. Okiku came out of the deep lonely well and crawled into Aoyama’s body, with her eyes full of rage.
Okiku’s spirit has been described a pale woman with a sad suffering expression, long dark hair, wearing a white funeral dress. This is how the spirits usually are yūrei/ Yuurimi which are spirits of Japanese women who cannot rest in peace, the spirit of someone who passed away in sudden or rash circumstances.
They appear from two in the morning until dawn and seek to torment those who have harmed them in life, without harming them physically, haunting them forever.
The Okiku well
This could possibly be one of the scariest wells ever, and it can be found outside the castle. When the sun goes down, people prefer to stay away from the area since many have said they have heard the voice of a woman whispering from inside the well and counting to ten, it is said to be the restless spirit of Okiku counting the golden plates, trying to find the missing one.
Metal bars were added at some point for safety reasons, but there’s a rumor that they were placed to prevent Okiku’s ghost from climbing out of its watery tomb and haunt people…
