Oiwa - Yotsuya Kaidan
Japan's most famous ghost story. Oiwa was poisoned by her husband, disfigured, and murdered. Her vengeance was so complete that productions of the play are still cursed. Actors must visit her shrine or suffer accidents.
Yotsuya Kaidan is Japan’s most famous and feared ghost story.
The Story
According to traditional accounts, Oiwa was a faithful wife married to the ronin Iemon. When he desired another woman, he chose a horrific path. He poisoned Oiwa, causing her face to become grotesquely disfigured, destroying her beauty before ultimately murdering her.
The Murder
Iemon poisoned Oiwa slowly over time, watching as her hair fell out and her face melted from the toxic effects. After her death, he quickly married his new love, believing he had freed himself from his inconvenient wife.
The Vengeance
Oiwa’s ghost returned with terrible fury, haunting Iemon constantly. Her ruined face appeared everywhere he looked, and even his new wife’s face transformed into Oiwa’s disfigured visage. In his terror and madness, he killed many people while trying to escape her relentless haunting, eventually going completely insane.
The Play
Tsuruya Nanboku IV wrote the kabuki play in 1825, and it became an immediate sensation in Japanese theater. The production has been considered cursed ever since, yet it continues to be performed despite the supernatural dangers associated with staging it.
The Curse
Productions of the play consistently suffer unexplained accidents, with injuries to actors being common. Deaths have been reported among cast and crew members, along with technical failures and strange occurrences during rehearsals and performances.
The Protection
Actors must visit Oiwa’s shrine before performing the play to pay respects and ask her permission. They beg her forgiveness for depicting her tragic story, knowing that failure to complete this ritual may result in serious consequences during the production.
The Shrine
The Oiwa-Inari Shrine in Tokyo is visited constantly by actors, directors, and crew members working on productions of the play. They seek protection from the curse, and the shrine is known to be very active spiritually, with many reporting unusual experiences during their visits.