Suspended above a narrow ravine in the mountains of former Kai Province, Oiran Buchi—the “Courtesans’ Abyss”—marks the site of one of Japan’s most infamous mass killings. During the late Sengoku period, when local gold mines were seized by new warlords, a group of oiran (high-ranking courtesans) who had entertained the miners were led to this cliff and cast into the gorge to keep the mine’s location secret. For centuries, travelers have spoken of disembodied laughter, the scent of perfume, and cries rising from the valley at dusk. Locals avoid crossing the bridge after nightfall, claiming to hear the rustle of silk kimono and the splash of bodies in the river below. Modern visitors report sudden vertigo and cold winds that stop as abruptly as they begin, and paranormal teams have recorded female sobs echoing across the span. Today a memorial stele and suspension bridge mark the site—beautiful by day, but steeped in an atmosphere of sorrow that never seems to fade.