Yotsuya-Kaidan
Ghost Story of Yotsuya
Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談), the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon, is a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. Arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time, it has been adapted for film over 30 times and continues to be an influence on Japanese horror today. Written in 1825 by Tsuruya Nanboku IV as a kabuki play, the original title was Tōkaidō Yotsiya Kaidan (東海道四谷怪談, Ghost Story of Yotsuya in Tokaido). It is now generally shortened, and loosely translates as Ghost Story of Yotsuya.
- The Beginning.
Tamiya Iemon, a rōnin, is having a heated exchange with his father-in-law, Yotsuya Samon, concerning Samon’s daughter Oiwa.
After it is suggested by Samon that Iemon and his daughter should separate, the ronin becomes enraged and murders Samon. Naosuke who is sexually obsessed with Oiwa’s sister, the prostitute Osode, despite her being already married to another man, Satô Yomoshichi.
Naosuke is at the local brothel making romantic advances toward Osode when Yomoshichi and the brothel’s owner, Takuetsu. Unable to pay a fee demanded by Takuetsu, he is mocked by both Yomoshichi and Osode and forcibly removed. Shortly afterwards he kills his former master, whom he mistakes for Yomoshichi, at the precise time of the slaying of Samon. It is at this point that Iemon and Naosuke unite and conspire to mislead Oiwa and Osode into believing that they will exact revenge on the people responsible for their father’s death. In return Osode agrees to marry Naosuke.
2. The Curse
Oume, the granddaughter of Itô Kihei, has fallen in love with Iemon. However, believing herself to be less attractive than Oiwa, she doesn’t think Iemon will ever want to become her husband. Sympathizing with Oume’s plight, the Itôs scheme to have Oiwa disfigured by sending her a topical poison disguised as a facial cream. Oiwa, unbeknownst to her at the time, is instantly scarred by the cream when she applies it.
Upon seeing his wife’s ghastly new countenance, Iemon decides he can no longer remain with her. He asks Takuetsu to rape Oiwa so that he will have an honorable basis for divorce. Takuetsu cannot bring himself to do this so, instead, he simply shows Oiwa her reflection in a mirror. Realizing that she has been deceived, Oiwa becomes hysterical and, picking up a sword, runs towards the door. Takuetsu moves to grab her but Oiwa, attempting to evade him, accidentally punctures her own throat with the sword’s tip. As she lies bleeding to death before a stunned Takuetsu, she curses Iemon’s name. Not long after, Iemon becomes engaged to Oume.
Iemon was tricked by Oiwa’s ghost into slaying both Oume and her grandfather on the night of the wedding.
3. The Massacre
The remaining members of the Itô household are annihilated. Iemon kicks Oyumi, the mother of Oume, into the Onbô Canal and Omaki, the servant of Oyumi, drowns by accident. Naosuke arrives in disguise as Gonbei, an eel vendor, and blackmails Iemon into handing over a valuable document. Iemon contemplates his prospects while fishing at the Onbô canal. On the embankment above the canal Iemon, Yomoshichi, who is not dead (Naosuke killed another man mistakenly in his place), and Naosuke appear to fumble as they struggle for possession of a note which passes from hand to hand in the darkness.
4. The Truth
At the opening Naosuke is pressuring Osode to consummate their marriage, to which she seems oddly averse. Yomoshichi appears and accuses Osode of adultery. Osode resigns herself to death in atonement and convinces Naosuke and Yomoshichi that they should kill her. She leaves a farewell note just before her death, written by Osode, which informs him that she is his long-lost younger sister, and that’s why she refused to sleep with him. For the shame of this, as well as for the killing of his former master, he commits suicide.
5. The Lost
Iemon, still haunted by the ghost of Oiwa, flees to an isolated mountain retreat. There he rapidly descends into madness as his dreams and reality begin to merge and Oiwa’s haunting intensifies.
Iemon, unable to differentiate reality and hallucination, finally, Yomoshichi slaying Iemon out of both vengeance and compassion.
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