Tonight’s story comes from Sado, where Negishi was stationed during his time as an administrator. The area in the story, Sotokaifu, is on the northwestern coast along the sea. I have never been to Sado, but it sounds like a fascinating place—an isolated island surrounded by mountains in the middle of the sea.
Fukui, where I live, also lies along the coast of the Sea of Japan. We get dramatic sea surges during the winter, with waves rising very high and then exploding against the cliffs, sending white foam into the air like a volcano. I am sure the sea must be even more furious out near Sado, and I can only imagine how terrifying it would be to ride in a wooden ship with no radio along the rocky coast of Sado in a storm.
Tonight’s story isn’t exactly a shocking or surprising ghost like some of the recent stories, but its atmosphere and the way it is told sits with me more deeply and lingers in my mind more than stories about bumping into ghosts on the street. It feels more creepy and forlorn. I hope it creeps you all out as well!
A Remnant of Spiritual Energy
The place called Sotokaifu on Sado Island is known for its particularly rough and violent seas.
When a certain man named Torii was working at the guardhouse at its harbor, one of the locals living on the beach reported that one night he heard the sound of a boat being hauled up onto the beach. Torii went down to the water’s edge to investigate; however, there was no sign of any such activity.
The same sound was heard for two or three nights. He went to investigate again, and he found a capsized boat that had drifted ashore near where the sound had come from. Surprised, he gathered a large group of laborers to pull the boat upright. Things like pots and kettles appeared to have sunk and were nowhere to be found. However, things like boxes and barrels were still inside the boat. One of the boxes bore the name of Kaifu Village.
“This must be the boat that was reported missing recently,” they said.
Word was sent to the village, and when people came to inspect it, they confirmed that it was indeed the missing boat. It had been returning from Aikawa, where it delivered a load of firewood. It encountered a severe storm off Washizaki and disappeared without a trace. Naturally, the spirits of the dead crew remained behind, and perhaps it was them that produced those sounds.
Such things are said to occur from time to time along the coast.
