A Tale of Ghosts, Vengeance, and Greed (Except For When It Is Not): The History of Yotsuya Kaidan and its Adaptations By Liv Adao
- Liv Adao
- Nov 26
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 27
This paper discusses the evolution of the traditional Japanese Yotsuya Kaidan ghost story by analyzing its two main characters within Japanese cinematic adaptations in the U.S. occupied period of 1949 and culturally confused period of 1959. This analysis is then compared against the original kabuki play written in 1825, in order to understand why the adaptations made certain changes, and to what effect. This analysis intends to show the way a story’s message is a reflection of the beliefs and values of the time in which it was produced, and how contemporary history and events—like occupation, censorship, cultural confusion—will inevitably bleed into the media that is created during them, and thus are important context to recognize when analyzing film. Through thorough analysis of both film and contemporary history, this paper finds that there is always more nuance beneath the surface of what a film is trying to say, and how it chooses to say it, and the best way to uncover this nuance is through deeper understanding of historical and cultural context.
The tale of Yotsuya kaidan, or the ghost of Yotsuya, is often lovingly titled one of the most well-known ghost stories in Japan. It is a tale of a dishonourable samurai and his scorned wife bent on revenge, and has captivated audiences for centuries. Yotsuya Kaidan was originally a play written in 1825 by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, and has been adapted over 30 times since it first entered Japanese culture.
Of those 30, there are two of particular interest due to the time period they were produced in. Yotsuya Kaidan (1949), directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, was produced in the time after World War II when Japan was under occupation by the United States and facing strict media censorship in order to “modernize” and “westernize” the perceived backward and pre-modern country. Yotsuya Kaidan (1959), directed by Nobuo Nakagawa, was made seven years after occupation had ended, when Japan was at a crossroads within its own national identity; the years of forced occupation had left them with a modern and prosperous economy, but to the detriment of their own culture and traditions. Consequently, these adaptations are more than just the original story retold—and in many cases even contain drastic changes to characters or plot.
Leaning heavily on historical context as an explanation, this paper seeks to answer the question of why these changes were made and what effect they served on the greater themes of each respective iteration of the story. By analyzing both the 1949 and 1959 film in comparison to the original 1825 play, this paper will offer understandings of what each respective story is trying to say, and why that message is relevant and indicative of the time period it was produced in.
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