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Kaidan, or ghost stories, are part of Japan’s long history of storytelling. The term kaidan, which literally means recited narratives of strange or bewitching apparitions, first appeared during the early Edo period. The early 17th century, which marked the beginning of the Edo period, saw great social stability that made civil wars and related unrest a thing of the past in the mind of the public. Frightening stories gained popularity as fear became a tool for entertainment, and were interwoven into everything from friendly gatherings to religious ceremonies and funerals. The stories covered all sorts of horror situations and yokai, a term that includes ghosts, demons, gods, spirits and other supernatural entities. Initially, stories were shared orally, often by professional storytellers. The tradition evolved when a game called hyaku monogatari, also called hyakumonogatari kaidankai, emerged among samurai. Seeking to test their mettle, samurai would gather in groups and place one hundred wicks in a lamp. The samurai told ghost stories to one another, extinguishing one wick after each story, and believed that when the hundredth wick was extinguished, a supernatural event would occur. Following the explosion in popularity of this game among people of all social classes, compilations of ghost stories called kaidanshu began circulating, and printed images of the stories followed close behind. To the common people of the Edo period, ghost prints served as both entertainment and a method for expressing their thoughts on various topics through the frame of traditional stories. Similar to prints that employed shifts in time period, such as describing contemporary events as having occurred in past eras, prints that depicted stories with elements of social commentary passed through censorship that aimed to keep printmakers from expressing negative views on current events and political figures.

The unexpected and grotesque, which featured heavily in kaidan, continued to fascinate the public, advancing into kabuki plays that were interpreted and portrayed in prints. These subjects include those that were far-fetched from reality, such as strange monsters and unusually violent imagery. Kabuki plays were a form of Japanese theater that often adopted ghost stories, increasing their popularity and leading to the creation of prints that featured popular actors and broadened the audience of ghost stories. Within the theater, ghosts and the supernatural were a spectacle that showcased newfound stage tricks and technologies, further captivating the audience. Avenging ghosts became a popular theme in the 18th-century theater, especially in vengeful Yurei characters. The plays challenged societal standards in a shocking and fearful manner, increasing the exposure to the grotesque, thus heightening the tolerance and demand. The kabuki scenes were then illustrated with prints, highlighting the story-telling aspect through artistic visuals.  

To the common people of the Edo period, ghost prints served as both entertainment and a method for expressing their thoughts on various topics through the frame of traditional stories. As government restrictions prevented printmakers from directly referencing contemporary events, these printmakers found ways to circumvent censorship in order to express their thoughts on the current social and political climates of Edo. Similar to prints that employed shifts in time period, such as describing contemporary events as having occurred in past eras, prints that depicted stories with elements of social commentary passed through censorship that aimed to keep printmakers from expressing negative views on current events and political figures. Prints often employed sekai, constructed worlds, which were used to conceal commentary and present-day narratives within different time periods or entirely different worlds. The worlds of kaidan were cleverly used to allude to social unrest while passing through censorship. Among the most common topics in ghost prints are tensions between members of different social classes and dissatisfaction with government and local officials. Often, ghost prints involve stories in which government officials or higher-class citizens are corrupted and mistreat those below them, culminating in punishment for their actions. The strict hierarchical structure of Edo society meant that members of lower classes led far more difficult lives than those above them, which led to great social unrest. Strict punishments for breaching social rules kept this unrest in check much of the time, but art and culture remained as an outlet for expressions of dissatisfaction.