Useful if the book turns out to be shit

A horror novel printed on toilet paper - The nine-chapter tale is appropriately titled "Drop," and is the alarming story of an evil spirit that inhabits a toilet bowl, according to Takaki Hayashi, vice president of Hayashi Paper Corp.

"I've read the story and it's very scary," he said.

Suzuki has won acclaim as one of Japan's leading horror writers and was behind "Dark Water, "Spiral" and "Ring," the tale of a videotape that caused the death of anyone who sees it. "Ring" was made into a movie in Japan before being snapped up by Hollywood.

His latest work is set in a public toilet and plays on Japanese superstitions that ghosts and evil spirits inhabit the smallest room in the house, which is why they were traditionally relegated to the most distant part of the home. Parents still tell naughty children that a hairy hand will seize them when they have their pants around their ankles if they misbehave and drag them down into the dark water below.

Hayashi Paper has veered away from the more conventional pretty patterns on its toilet paper in the past, according to Mr Hayashi, in the past producing rolls containing information on what to do in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster.

The latest effort at toilet-time entertainment is printed in blue and is interspersed by splatters that are reminiscent of blood. The story is repeated over every 86 cm of paper and each roll costs Y210 (£1.40)