Shinzaburo, despite being from a well off samurai family, teaches poor children who live in the village row houses.

Later, Shinzaburo leads the village kids as they participate in a lantern float at a nearby river.

Banzo is chased off by Oyone's ghost, and he flees to his friend Haksudo and tells him what happened.

Oyone asks Shinza to stay with Otsuyu for the three remaining days of Obon, and he agrees.

He says to lock Shinza up for the rest of Obon to keep him from the ghosts, and to put prayer scrolls over the doors to keep them out.

Otsuyu and Oyone physically pull Banzo and his wife to Shinza's house to tear the scrolls.

A group of men approach and accuse them of stealing the money they had buried them, and they kill the couple in revenge.

[2] The film released in Japan on June 15th, 1968 as a double-feature with the horror movie The Ghostly Trap.

[3] The film received a US release with English subtitles and was given the international title of A Tale of Peonies and Lanterns.