On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka, which means the Slope of the Province of Kii. I do not know why it is called the Slope of the Province of Kii. On one side of this slope you see an ancient moat, deep and very wide, with high green banks rising up to some place of gardens; -- and on the other side of the road extend the long and lofty walls of an imperial palace. Before the era of street-lamps and jinrikishas, this neighbourhood was very lonesome after dark; and belated pedestrians would go miles out of their way rather than mount the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, alone, after sunset.

All because of a Mujina that used to walk there.

The last man who saw the Mujina was an old merchant of the Kyobashi quarter, who died about thirty years ago. This is the story, as he told it:

Peter Washington chooses his top 10 ghost stories in the Guardian...
Glad he's got Oh Whistle and I'll Come To You My Lad in there, my all-time favourite ghost story. Watch this space for FrightFiction.com's own Top 10!

This matter began, as far as I am concerned, with the reading of a notice in the obituary section of the Gentleman's Magazine for an early year in the nineteenth century:

More spooky images by artist Will Jaques. You can see more of his work at ghastlydoor.com .

The BBC had a ghost story on over Christmas, a mostly forgotten festive tradition that I applaud and want to see more of.

Crooked House, shown in three parts on BBC 4, reminded me of the VHS machine my dad used to bring home for the holidays from the school he taught at when I was a kid. The machine was the old 1970s kind with the clicky switch-down buttons at the front. We only had two tapes to play on it – a pirate copy of Star Wars,, and a BBC Education drama series called Middle English, which featured a couple of ghost stories with titles such as The Hairy Hand, the plot of which revolved around a scary hairy hand. We watched them over and over again. The ghost stories were clumsily made, but had moments of brilliant terror which are the reason I remember the clicky buttons on the VHS machine so clearly today.

This traditional American folk song which is related to the better known Frankie and Johnnie has a fleeting and rather creepy ghost appearance at the end.

Delia

Delia cursed Tony,
On a Saturday night,
Cursted him such a wicked curse
That he swore he’d take her life.

Delia’s gone,
One more round,
Delia’s gone.

The first time he shot her,
Shot her in the side,
The second time he shot her,
She bowed her head and died. (Chorus.)

They sent for the doctor,
He came dressed in black,
Done everything as a doctor could do,
But he couldn’t bring Delia back. (Chorus.)

Monday he was ‘rested,
Tuesday he was tried,
The jury found him guilty,
And the judge said, ‘Ninety-nine.’ (Chorus.)

We really love the eerie ink pen illustrations of artist Will Jacques, an American illustrator based in the suitably ghost-infested swamps of Southern Georgia. Jacques takes his inspiration from anything from paranormal literature to Pagan symbolism. You can see more of his work at ghastlydoor.com.

Apparently, the first story to claim this title appeared in the December 1948 edition of Thrilling Wonder Stories, one of those brilliant pulp sci fi mags with garish bug eyed monsters and big brea