Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai
Encyclopedia
was a popular parlour game
during the Edo period
in Japan
.
The game was a simple one. In a room, as night fell, one hundred candles were lit. Guests and players gathered around the candles, taking turns telling kaidan
. After each kaidan, a single candle was extinguished, and the room slowly grew darker and darker. The process was an evocation
, with the final candle believed to summon a supernatural
entity.
The origin of the game is unknown. It is thought that it was first played amongst the samurai
class as a test of courage, and later became fashionable amongst the townsmen.
A true popular phenomenon, the popularity of Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai combined with new printing technology created a boom in the publication of kaidan-themed books collecting appropriate tales from every corner of Japan
and China
. Books in this genre often used the term Hyakumonogatari in the title, and in fact the published tale’s popularity continued long after the fad for the game had faded.
Parlour game
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name....
during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The game was a simple one. In a room, as night fell, one hundred candles were lit. Guests and players gathered around the candles, taking turns telling kaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
. After each kaidan, a single candle was extinguished, and the room slowly grew darker and darker. The process was an evocation
Evocation
Evocation is the act of calling or summoning a spirit, demon, god or other supernatural agent, in the Western mystery tradition. Comparable practices exist in many religions and magical traditions.-Evocation in the Western mystery tradition:...
, with the final candle believed to summon a supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
entity.
The origin of the game is unknown. It is thought that it was first played amongst the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
class as a test of courage, and later became fashionable amongst the townsmen.
A true popular phenomenon, the popularity of Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai combined with new printing technology created a boom in the publication of kaidan-themed books collecting appropriate tales from every corner of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Books in this genre often used the term Hyakumonogatari in the title, and in fact the published tale’s popularity continued long after the fad for the game had faded.
In other media
- The game Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai was the basis for a TV Program, Kaidan Hyakumonogatari, starring Naoto TakenakaNaoto Takenakais a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi.-Director:*Munō no Hito *119...
. It used the game as a base to tell classic Japanese ghost storiesKaidanKaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
. - In the tenth episode of the anime xxxHolic Yūko invites Watanuki, Doumeki and Himawari to the Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai.
- In the Episode 'Freshman Fear' of the A&EA&E NetworkThe A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
docu-dramaDocudramaIn film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
reality television series Paranormal StateParanormal StateParanormal State is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on the A&E Network on December 10, 2007. The program follows and stars the Pennsylvania State University Paranormal Research Society, a student-led college club...
, Members of Penn State Paranormal Research Society play the Ancient Japanese Game of One Hundred Candles during their investigation of a supposed haunting in a student dormitory. Freshman Lauren believes that an earlier performance of the ritual may have invited a local spirit into her dorm. - In the anime .hack//liminality: In the Case of Kyoko Tohno (the accompanying anime to the .hack// series of games), Kyoko Tohno calls the epic poem "The Epitaph of Twilight" the "hundredth tale of the hundred stories", a reference to Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai.
- In Season 2, Ep. 13 of the anime School RumbleSchool Rumbleis a Japanese Shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Jin Kobayashi. First serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from October 22, 2002 to July 23, 2008, all 345 chapters were later collected in 22 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. Shōnen Magazine Special published a sequel, School Rumble Z,...
, the students of 2-C can be seen playing the game throughout the episode. - Mentioned in Lucky Star
- An adaptation opens the anime series Ghost HuntGhost Hunt, originally titled , is a light novel series written by Fuyumi Ono. It follows the adventures of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center as they investigate mysterious occurrences all over Japan with a team of other spiritualists and clever assistants. Although the last novel was published in 1994,...
. - In the manga SundomeSundomeis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuto Okada. Sundome literally means "stopping the moment before", in this case referring to being stopped just before ejaculating. Eight volumes have been released in Japan with seven volumes translated into English...
the members of the Roman Club play Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai in one scene. - One of the Conversation Skills in Persona 2: Eternal Punshiment is the '100 Stories', with a special reward for when players manage to display all 100 scripted stories.
- A 1968 film starring Miwa TakadaMiwa Takadais a Japanese film, TV and stage actress. She has starred in several Japanese movies that are today considered classics ....
- In the fifth episode of the anime Sengoku Otome: Momoiro ParadoxSengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox, also known as Battle Girls: Time Paradox, is a 2011 Japanese anime television series based on a Pachinko game developed by Heiwa. Produced by TMS Entertainment under the direction of Hideki Okamoto, the anime series aired on TV Tokyo between April 4, 2011 and June 27, 2011.- Plot :Yoshino Hide,...
, the main characters are forced to participate in this by a group of undead samurai warriors.
External links
- Tales of Ghostly Japan Japanzine By Zack Davisson
- Japanese Ghosts Mangajin #40 by Tim Screech
- Asian Horror Encyclopedia.
- Asian Folklore Studies: The Appeal of Kaidan Tales of the Strange.
- Information on The Kaidan Suite, a musical interpretation of hyaku monogatari by the Kitsune Ensemble.
- Hyakumonogatari.com