There are a lot of stories during those days that never got past the mainstream acceptance. Though the story you shared comes new to me (never heard about this title before), it does remind me of a show I have learned to love before I even got some concrete sense of the world.

Dr. Black Jack OVA series and it's old school animation really got me hooked in the story and perhaps one of the anime that inspired me to go into health care. It's not a popular story where I came from since it got trumped by mainstream anime. The biggest problem why it wasn't adapted was the lack of audience to appreciate the topics.

Yokai and scare stories are not really for children. I guess Kitarou of the Graveyard was the right story, in the wrong time, and the wrong audience. Just like several great stories from 1 or 2 decades ago.