Writer rolls out horror story on toilet paper

In a country where ghosts are traditionally believed to hide in the toilet, a company is advertising a new literary experience — a horror story printed on toilet paper.

Pulp fiction: Writer Koji Suzuki poses with rolls of toilet paper on which his short horror story "Drop" is printed, at a printing factory in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Saturday. KYODO PHOTO

Each roll carries several copies of a new nine-chapter novella by Koji Suzuki, the author of the horror story "Ring," which has been made into movies in both Japan and Hollywood.

"Drop," set in a public restroom, takes up about 90 cm of a roll and can be read in just a few minutes, according to the manufacturer, Hayashi Paper.

The company promotes the toilet paper, which will sell for ¥210 a roll, as "a horror experience in the toilet."

Toilets in Japan were traditionally tucked away in a dark corner of the house due to religious beliefs. Parents would tease children that a hairy hand might pull them down into the dark pool below.