The film opens in
feudal Japan on the first day of
Obon. Shinzaburo, despite being from a well off
samurai family, teaches poor children who live in the village
row houses. Shinzaburo's father wants him to marry his brother's wife after he died in an accident shortly after their wedding, but Shinzaburo is hesitant. Later, Shinzaburo leads the village kids as they participate in a
lantern float at a nearby river. Shinzaburo helps a free two lanterns that get stuck by a branch, and two women thank him for helping them. The women from the river come to Shinzaburo's home to thank him. They say they are "women of the
Yoshiwara" who were given permission to leave during Obon. The younger woman, Otsuyu, is set to marry an elderly man. Her mistress, Oyone, asks Shinzaburo to marry Otsuyu before Obon is over and they have to return. Shinza's neighbor, Banzo, sees the women leaving Shinza's house, recognizing Otsuyu. Banzo tells a friend about seeing the women. His friend says he can't have seen them as both women are dead. He says that they must be ghosts who were able to appear as it is their first Obon. Oyone asks Shinza to take Otsuyu as his wife for the remainder of Obon. Oyone officiates a wedding for them in Shinza's home, and the two sleep together. Banzo sees the two of them having sex through their window, but sees Otsuyu as a ghoul instead of the women that Shinza sees. Banzo is chased off by Oyone's ghost, and he flees to his friend Haksudo and tells him what happened. The men approach Shinza the next day and say that he has to end the marriage or he will die. Shinza locks his doors to keep the ghosts out, but they get in anyway. Shinza tries to strike them with his
katana but they fight back. Banzo sees Shinza swinging at nothing and tries to snap him out of his
trance, but Shinza scares him off. Oyone asks Shinza to stay with Otsuyu for the three remaining days of Obon, and he agrees. The villagers see the
high priest for help. He says to lock Shinza up for the rest of Obon to keep him from the ghosts, and to put
prayer scrolls over the doors to keep them out. Shinza agrees to being locked up. At night the ghosts come but are scared away by the prayer scrolls. They try to get Shinza to let them in but he refuses, saying he has to live for the sake of the children. Banzo's wife returns home, oblivious to what's going on. She falls asleep and Oyone enters his home and asks him to tear the scrolls off Shinza's home before the next night. When the ghosts return he asks for 100
ryo. Oyone tells them to find money in a grave north of theirs, and to tear the scrolls off after she has it. At the temple graveyard, Banzo digs up the grave and finds 100 ryo. Otsuyu and Oyone physically pull Banzo and his wife to Shinza's house to tear the scrolls. Banzo rips a scroll and opens the door. Otsuyu enters, telling Shinza they're taking him to the
other world and they embrace. The next day, the villagers find Shinza dead next to the skeletons of Otsuyu and Oyone. Banzo and his wife leave town but stop at the graveyard to look for more money. A group of men approach and accuse them of stealing the money they had buried them, and they kill the couple in revenge. In the village, a funeral procession takes place for Shinza. == Cast ==