kaidan

is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: () meaning and () meaning or .

In its broadest sense, kaidan refers to any ghost story or horror story, but it has an old-fashioned ring to it that carries the connotation of Edo period Japanese folktales. The term is no longer as widely used in Japanese as it once was: Japanese horror books and films such as Ju-on and Ring would more likely be labeled by the katakana . Kaidan is only used if the author/director wishes to give an old-fashioned air to the story.