OSAKA -- In the Bon holiday period, when tradition has it that spirits return from beyond, visitors to temples and shrines in central Osaka pray not only for deceased relatives, but also for those who perished 30 years ago in a tragedy that still haunts local residents.

Located on the west side of the Sennichimae arcade is the site of one of the city's most historically cursed pieces of land, as well as that of a well-known modern ghost story.

Buried deep beneath a building that currently houses a computer and electronic goods store was a mass grave featuring the remains of thousands of people killed during the 1615 siege of Osaka Castle.