ghost story; spooky tale
A story about ghosts, monsters, or supernatural happenings, often told to entertain or frighten. Similar to 怪談 (kaidan) but with a slightly more casual, child-friendly feel.
See also: 怪談
Children love listening to ghost stories.
夏になると、お化けの話で盛り上がる。
In summer, we get excited telling spooky tales.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
All-kana spelling, common in casual or child-oriented contexts.
Compound of お化け (obake, 'ghost, monster') + の (possessive particle) + 話 (hanashi, 'story'). The word お化け itself derives from 化ける (bakeru, 'to transform, take the form of'), referring to supernatural beings that change shape.