Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (妖怪百物語)

This is troubling. Where's the road'?

l struggled like mad but they wouldn't budge at all.

Those huge arms that seemed like they were made of straw squeezed me.

I started to black out.

Then, when I woke up, it was morning.

There wasn't any evidence of anything like that ever having appeared.

But this was a monster called Tsuchikorobi, which I came across

in the mountains three years ago when I got lost on my way to Mino.

I'll never get over the eerie sound the wind made back at that time.

Landlord, the light. Hurry!

All right, everyone. Let's do the curse eliminating ritual.

This is a One Hundred Stories social gathering.

Every time one story ends, one candle is meant to be put out.

There is an old saying in which, when the last light is put out,

an apparition will make an appearance.

At the end of the gathering,

it is customary to participate in the curse eliminating ritual.

Good morning!

Ah, good morning! Good morning!

Hey, I'm on my WaV-

Come home immediately after you get paid.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm counting on you, Daikichi.

I'll drag him back even if I have to put a noose around his neck.

You'd better.

Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors!

You're it!

You're it!

Hey, avoid ripping up the umbrellas.

Working hard, I see.

Ah, Okiku, visiting?

What's that?

He's Mr. Tajimayafis right-hand man, isn't he'?

Hey, what's the meaning of this?

You're Gohei, the caretaker?

That's right.

In that case, hurry up and get ready to leave the premises.

Leave'? Why?

This property now belongs to Mr. Tajimaya.

Say What'?!

Mr. Tajimaya will tear down this filthy shrine and build a brothel.

I haven't heard any of this!

That's because there's no need to tell you about it!

I don't know what's going on but I can't allow that to happen!

This shrine belongs to the town. Not to mention it's a shrine after all.

You can't even change a tile on this place

without the approval of the Shrine Magistrate.

No need to tell me that, I already know.

The proper approval was already given.

That's a lie!

What are you doing? Start already!

Stop! Stop it!

Don't interfere!

Gohei!

Let go!

I'd like to meet Mr. Tajimaya.

And what do you hope to accomplish by meeting him’?

Don't get the idea you have any clout.

You're just a caretaker in the employment of the town.

I know that! But if you build a brothel here,

it'll cause a lot of neighborhood disturbance!

No need to worry about that.

We'll tear down the tenement house while we're at it.

The house too?

You can't do that! That tenement house belongs to Mr. Jinbei!

You don't have a say in this if Mr. Jinbei says yes though.

My father would never approve of that!

Why don't you go home and ask your daddy then?

Hey, stay back!

Get rid of that junk!

Yes, Sh.

Hey, that stuff's on loan! Let me have them back!

You don't understand anything!

This is no place for a girl to stick her neck in.

Stop it!

Haul this guy's ass out!

Gohei! Gohei!

Yasutaro!

Yasutaro!

Get up! Please get up!

For crying out loud...

Hi, Osen.

Don't you hear the ruckus out back?

Gohei's been beaten and he's all bloody!

What'? why?

In any case, you're the only man here in the tenement house.

Please do something!

I can't do anything about that anyway.

Coward! Fine, I won't ask anymore!

Tajimaya

It's wine on the open sea

It's ship number ten

It's a time for celebration

Whee! Getting plastered!

It's sake, it's sake from Fujimi

Darling, the Lord of Hotta is here to see you.

What? The magistrate?

Yes!

Take care of things.

Yes, Sh.

I'm sorry, not being able to welcome you properly.

It's quite festive around here.

Yes, thanks to you. We were able to carry cargo on up to ten ships.

It's good to see you prosper.

Mr. Tajimaya, your payment in regards to lifting the zoning ordinance

has been approved.

I see. I somehow expected that and already went ahead with the next step.

You're one step ahead.

TajimaVa~

You really put your eyes on a good place.

The shrines you've looked at have no deities and they're obscure.

Yes, but there are still some places with those obscure shrines

which are no better than an empty lot.

This is Edo, where it's said the land is worth its weight in gold.

Depending on the place, it might make you an enormous fortune.

Thank you.

I'll see to it you reap the benefits as well.

I'll be looking forward to it.

Shinkichi!

Come and get me!

He's like a child no matter how much time passes.

Shinkichi, come on out.

Hide and seek again? Go call Oriku!

Yes, Sh.

Come out, Shinkichi!

Dad, don't tell her where I am!

This here is the Magistrate. Say hello.

Welcome, I'm Shinkichi.

My name is Uzen.

Uzen’?

Dad, this isn't the magistrate. It's Uzen.

Moron!

Why weren't you watching him’? Hurry up and take him away!

Yes, Sir. Come on, Shinkichi.

It's Uzen!

My deepest apologies.

What that Tajimaya goon said isn't true, right, Mr. Jinbei’?

Of course.

Even Tafirnaya carfi come onto anothefs property and do whatever he Wankel!

That's right!

Mr. Jinbei’?

I'm sorry.

Then you agreed to such a thing with Mr. Tajimaya’?

Well, no. I just couldn't do anything about it.

What's that supposed to mean, "couldn't do anything?"

You're not the kind of person to give into threats.

The story is...

I owe him thirty ryo.

Thirty ryo?!

He found out my late wife was bedridden from a chronic illness

and recommended some medicine from Holland.

The payment for that kept going and going and went up to thirty ryo.

In retrospect, this was something he plotted

and the tenement house was put up for collateral.

He wants me to pay the thirty ryo but I can barely pay the interest.

So that's why they were so cocky.

Damn it, how far will those bastards go anyway?

I'll ask for another postponement, so please don't make a fuss.

Father!

What's the matter?

It's Gohei!

Gohei!

Damn it!

Daikichi!

Daikichi!

Where are you off to'?

To Tajimayafs, of course.

Don't bother. He's not someone you can do anything about.

But a man just died!

He'll find some way to talk black into white.

Whose side are you on, anyway?

I just don't want to see any more victims.

Give it a rest.

What a weird guy.

The reason you were all invited, beginning with Lord Uzen of Hotta,

the Shrine Magistrate, was to say thanks for

all the special support which has been provided.

While I would like to say more thanks for the additional support,

l felt having an ordinary party would be lackluster,

so I will provide a different kind of entertainment tonight.

TajimaVa~

What's about to start?

The one hundred stories.

I see, sounds interesting.

Now, Master.

All right.

Now to begin with, every time a story ends, I'll ask you

to put out one of the candles in front of you.

The final one will be that one behind me.

The first story is a story concerning the Tone River.

It was in Nakasendo Kurihase, an area that was prosperous.

It is a story that takes place at a gathering such as this one.

It was springtime, it was about this time of the hour,

between seven and nine at night.

The bell which indicated the top of the hour went "gooohg"...

I tried going to City Hall to put in for a postponement,

but it stinks of Tajimaya. The worker refuses to accept anything.

Damn it!

I feel bad for Gohei, but there's nothing that can be done.

Father, will the tenement house be torn clown as well?