There is an ethereal tranquility that descends upon the labyrinthine alleys of Yanaka during Tokyo's humid summer afternoons.
The scent of incense wafts from cemeteries dotting the neighborhood as glass wind chimes ring in the occasional breeze, offering a brief respite from the scorching heat. Shadows of pedestrians stretch across weathered walls enclosing dozens of old Buddhist temples inhabiting this traditional district in Taito Ward.
It's in the premises of one of these temples, Zenshoan, that the grave of Sanyutei Encho rests. A legendary Meiji Era (1868-1912) rakugo storyteller famed for his tales of ghosts and apparitions, Encho passed away on Aug. 11, 1900, at the age of 61. He left behind, among many stories that have since become rakugo classics, a rare collection of hanging scrolls depicting Japanese ghosts known as yūrei.