怪談

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 怪談 (かいだん) combines strange or supernatural 怪 and tale 談 to denote a ghost story.
• Basic usage: It is told on summer nights and can be frightening yet entertaining.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A story genre, not proof of an event
  • 怪談 names a supernatural tale and does not by itself claim that the narrated incident actually occurred.