Okiku by Yoshitoshi [1839-1892] from the "36 Ghosts" series

There are a number of versions of this story. In one, Okiku was a maid in the house of a samurai named Aoyama Tessan. Aoyama had been trying to get Okiku to sleep with him, but she kept refusing, so he came up with a devious plan. He had ten extremely valuable ceramic plates that he'd received from Dutch visiters. He put Okiku in charge of the plates, and then hid one. When he asked her to produce them, "a hundred times she wearily counted them," but could only find nine. Aoyama suggested that if she became his mistress he would overlook her supposed carelessness. She refused and he killed her, throwing her body into an old well.

As a ghost, Okiku kept rising out of the well, counting to nine and then wailing as she went back down again. In one version, this continous harrassment drove Aoyama mad. In other version, he called in an exorcist. The exorcist waited until she counted to nine and then yelled "ten." This apparently was enough to get her to dissappear forever.

Note that there are several Bunraku and Kabuki versions of this story. The one we will watch in class, Banshu Sarayashiki, interpolates it into a succession issue story: Aoyama Tessan (or Asayama Tetsuzan) is a disloyal retainer, plotting to usurp power from his lord and Okiku is married to a loyal retainer. Although today only the act in which Okiku is killed and she returns as a ghost is staged, in the plot as originally written her revenge as a ghost supports the reinstatement of the rightful heir.

Synopsis from Wikipedia: Hosokawa Katsumoto, the lord of Himeji Castle, has fallen seriously ill. Katsumoto's heir, Tomonosuke, plans to give a set of 10 precious plates to the shōgun to ensure his succession. However, chief retainer Asayama Tetsuzan plots to take over. Tomonosuke's retainer, Funase Sampei Taketsune is engaged to marry a lady in waiting, Okiku. Tetsuzan plans to force Okiku to help him murder Tomonosuke.

Tetsuzan, through the help of a spy, steals one of the 10 plates and summons Okiku to bring the box containing the plates to his chamber. There, he attempts to seduce Okiku. She refuses due to her love for Taketsune. Rejected, Tetsuzan then has Okiku count the plates to find only nine. He blames her for the theft and offers to lie for her if she will be his mistress. Okiku again refuses and Tetsuzan has her beaten with a wooden sword.

Tetsuzan then has her suspended over a well and, erotically enjoying her torture, has her lowered into the well several times, beating her himself when she is raised. He demands that she become his lover and assist in the murder of Tomonosuke. She refuses again, whereupon Tetsuzan strikes her with his sword, sending her body into the well.

While wiping clean his sword, the sound of a voice counting plates comes from the well. Tetsuzan realizes that it is the ghost of Okiku but is entirely unmoved. The play ends with the ghost of Okiku rising from the well, Tetsuzan staring at her contemptuously.