O Fantasma de Yotsuya (1959)

"Is there no end to your spite?"

The Ghost Story of Yotsuya was a cautionary tale for men who thought they could murder their way to a more comfortable life. As usual in these old kaidans, never underestimate the power of a vengeful woman, even if, or more aptly if, she’s dead.

Ronin Tamiya Iemon is so determined to wed Iwa that he murders her father and the father of her sister Sode’s fiancé Yomoshichi in a rage. A criminal named Naosuke witnesses the attack and offers to vouch for Iemon and provide a scapegoat. The two men along with Yomoshichi vow to avenge the fathers’ deaths, but Iemon and Naosuke secretly kill Yomoshichi instead. The two men each take a woman and go their separate ways though they keep in contact without the sisters’ knowledge.

The first half of the film provided ample evidence of why Iemon and Naosuke were vile, unsympathetic creatures. Even after Iemon married Iwa, he wasn’t satisfied as they ran out of money quickly. His sights turned toward a wealthy man’s daughter which meant that Iwa and her baby were in mortal danger. The second half of the film was cathartic in the scoundrels’ gradual demise through a gruesome haunting by their victims. A Buddhist temple couldn't even offer refuge from the specters.

This film based on a kabuki play often felt like an elaborate play with small shadowy sets. They gave just the right feel for a claustrophobic tale of men against ghosts. The simple and sparely used percussion-based music provided the perfect eerie atmosphere. Yotusya’s makeup artists outdid themselves in the ghoulish appearances department as the bodies deteriorated and dripped. A snake wrangler had his hands full. Iwa made a point of saying she was born in the Year of the Snake and had a fondness for the legless creatures. If you are sensitive to them, there were numerous scenes with the reptiles, including a bucket overflowing with them. *shudder*

The Ghost Story of Yotsuya was a well made 1959 marriage horror tale. It also demonstrated the point on purpose or not, how dependent women were on men, whether father or husband. They couldn’t simply make decisions or take actions on their own, or even provide for themselves. When a woman wept with joy over the tiniest act of male kindness, she should have known something was up. “The fury of a woman driven mad is truly the greatest horror of all.” Then treat them right and you won’t have to worry about it! If you enjoy old Japanese horror films, this is one to try.

18 October 2026

Trigger warnings: Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes!

You say Iemon, I say lemon note: The capital letter I without the crossbars can be confusing. I thought the ML’s name was Lemon throughout much of the film, until it finally dawned on me it was a capital I. *face palm* lol

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