Beneath the ancient, placid surface of Kyoto lies a dark world of supernatural phenomena. When people are terrorized by spirits, demons, ghosts, and monsters, they seek out Daiun Miki, a real-life priest at Renkyuji Temple. Known throughout Japan as the Ghost Story Priest, Miki retells the stories of the desperate people he counsels and protects from these otherworldly creatures. The manga collects eleven allegedly true ghost stories that Miki either heard from visitors or experienced himself. The tales range from gruesome to sentimental, delivered with a told-round-the-campfire, urban legendary feel. They often explore themes of karma and the persistence of consciousness after death, yet not every story carries an explicit moral—instead, they offer open-ended anecdotes that feel like genuine personal accounts.

Among the most notable arcs are the two tales of Kooh the stuffed bear. In the first, a young boy brings Kooh to the ocean and is attacked by the ghosts of drowned people. Kooh saves the boy from drowning. In the second, the ghost of the same bear rescues the son of the now-adult original owner from a similar fate. Another arc, The Smell of Impending Death, details Miki’s own unsettling ability to detect the stench of death on people who are about to die from illness—a gift he considers more curse than blessing. Other stories include Broken Mirrors, about a couple whose mirrors reveal more than reflections; The Monster of Funaoka Mountain, where a group of boys spend a night in a haunted park; and Kokeshi Doll Mother, in which an orphan girl’s bond with her doll turns deadly when a friend comes between them.

The setting is the historic city of Kyoto itself, whose ancient temples, parks, and quiet neighborhoods conceal a hidden realm of spirits and yokai. Miki serves as both guide and protector, a Buddhist monk who uses fear and wonder to impart wisdom. The manga presents these stories not as simple scares but as windows into Japanese spiritual beliefs, where the supernatural is woven into everyday life and death is rarely the end.