Hideo Nakata's Kaidan
Encyclopedia
is a 2007 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata
. The title means 'ghost story'. The screenplay for this film was written by Satoko Okudera, based on the kaidan-banashi "Shinkei Kasanegafuchi" by Enchou Sanyutei.
The theme song of the film, called "Fated", was sung by Ayumi Hamasaki
.
. Despite her age, she falls in love with a young tobacco vendor named Shinkichi (Kunoemon Oroe), who lives with his uncle. Shinkichi and Oshiga decide to live together as husband and wife, but Shinkiichi begins flirting with the school's students, especially Oisa. Miserable and invidious, Oshiga becomes mean to the students who leave one by one.
Oshiga quarrels with Osono, who disapproves of her relationship with Shinkichi; she then runs away. Shinkichi admonishes her and declares he wants to end their relationship. Oshiga pleads with him not to leave, and then Shinkichi accidentally wounds his wife with her shamisen
's bachi
, right on her left brow. They reconcile, but Oshiga slowly falls ill from her wound. During the festival, Oisa meets Shinkichi who went to buy some medicine for the Oshiga, and they rent a hotel room.
Oshiga meanwhile dies, and and is given a proper burial. Shinkichi discovers in a letter left by Oshiga that warns if he remarries, she will haunt his new wife until the latter dies. He and Oisa elope, fleeing the city, but the couple lose their way in the rain. Oshiga's vengeful spirit constantly terrorises the pair, and she makes a frightful apparition to her husband. He defends himself by striking her with a scythe
; to his horror he realises he stuck it in Oisa's neck.
Shinkichi meanwhile passes out on the road, before waking up in the house of a wealthy man. They discover Oisa's corpse, and Shinkichi runs away to Hanyo, where he re-encounters Osono. Osono and Shinkichi mourn the death of Oshiga, and Osono finds her former brother-in-law a job. He gives her a small bell as a present, and he is called by the master of the house. He and his wife want him to marry their daughter Orui who is Oisa's cousin. Shinkichi initially declines, but after a blue snake attacks Orui, who falls face-first into the fireplace and gets a burn in the same place as Oshiga's scar, he relents.
Shinkichi marries Orui and they have a son, who is born unusually pale and has a scar on his left brow. The child displays strange characteristics, such as remaining silent, which troubles Shinkichi.
Hideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water...
. The title means 'ghost story'. The screenplay for this film was written by Satoko Okudera, based on the kaidan-banashi "Shinkei Kasanegafuchi" by Enchou Sanyutei.
The theme song of the film, called "Fated", was sung by Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
.
Plot
Oshiga (Kuroki) and Osono are sisters abandoned by their father. Oshiga is a respected teacher who runs a school for young girls in EdoEdo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. Despite her age, she falls in love with a young tobacco vendor named Shinkichi (Kunoemon Oroe), who lives with his uncle. Shinkichi and Oshiga decide to live together as husband and wife, but Shinkiichi begins flirting with the school's students, especially Oisa. Miserable and invidious, Oshiga becomes mean to the students who leave one by one.
Oshiga quarrels with Osono, who disapproves of her relationship with Shinkichi; she then runs away. Shinkichi admonishes her and declares he wants to end their relationship. Oshiga pleads with him not to leave, and then Shinkichi accidentally wounds his wife with her shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
's bachi
Bachi
Bachi is the name for the straight, wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
, right on her left brow. They reconcile, but Oshiga slowly falls ill from her wound. During the festival, Oisa meets Shinkichi who went to buy some medicine for the Oshiga, and they rent a hotel room.
Oshiga meanwhile dies, and and is given a proper burial. Shinkichi discovers in a letter left by Oshiga that warns if he remarries, she will haunt his new wife until the latter dies. He and Oisa elope, fleeing the city, but the couple lose their way in the rain. Oshiga's vengeful spirit constantly terrorises the pair, and she makes a frightful apparition to her husband. He defends himself by striking her with a scythe
Kama (weapon)
The is a traditional Filipino and Japanese farming implement similar to a small scythe used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon...
; to his horror he realises he stuck it in Oisa's neck.
Shinkichi meanwhile passes out on the road, before waking up in the house of a wealthy man. They discover Oisa's corpse, and Shinkichi runs away to Hanyo, where he re-encounters Osono. Osono and Shinkichi mourn the death of Oshiga, and Osono finds her former brother-in-law a job. He gives her a small bell as a present, and he is called by the master of the house. He and his wife want him to marry their daughter Orui who is Oisa's cousin. Shinkichi initially declines, but after a blue snake attacks Orui, who falls face-first into the fireplace and gets a burn in the same place as Oshiga's scar, he relents.
Shinkichi marries Orui and they have a son, who is born unusually pale and has a scar on his left brow. The child displays strange characteristics, such as remaining silent, which troubles Shinkichi.
Cast
- Kuroemon Onoe
- Hitomi KurokiHitomi KurokiHitomi Kuroki is a Japanese actress. Her real name is Shoko Ichiji née Egami ....
- Kikunosuke Onoe
- Kumiko Aso
- Mao InoueMao Inoueis a Japanese actress. She debuted as a U-15 idol in 1999. She is best known to Japanese television drama audiences as in and Makino Tsukushi in the Hana Yori Dango series, in which she won Best Actress in the 47th Television Drama Academy Awards and received a newcomer award at the 16th Hashida...
- Asaka SetoAsaka SetoAsaka Seto also known as Megumi Ieda, is a Japanese actress who works at Foster Management. She won the award for Best Actress at the 24th Yokohama Film Festival for Travail...