Oiwa’s curse

Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan is a famous Japanese ghost story first performed as a kabuki play in 1825.

The story follows Oiwa Tamiya, a woman married to Iemon Tamiya, a rōnin (masterless samurai). Iemon is cruel and ambitious, seeking to marry another woman, Oume, whose family is wealthy. To rid himself of Oiwa, he conspires to poison her. The poison disfigures her face instead of killing her immediately. Upon seeing her reflection, Oiwa is driven mad and dies. Thereafter, her vengeful spirit haunts Iemon, driving him to insanity and ultimately leading to his downfall.

In reenactments, Oiwa’s ghost - characterised by her long black hair, white burial kimono, and distorted face - has become an iconic figure in Japanese horror, inspiring later depictions of vengeful spirits in J-horror, such as The Ring and The Grudge (Ju-On).

Because the story is based on real events and is believed to involve a vengeful spirit, actors and production teams take precautions to avoid supernatural misfortunes. They will visit Myōgyō-ji Temple in Tokyo, where Oiwa is said to be buried, to pray for permission to perform the role and for protection from misfortune. Incense and prayers are offered to appease her spirit and ensure a smooth performance.

To prevent accidents or illnesses before, during or after the play's run, actors undergo Shinto purification rites before or after performances to remove any lingering spiritual disturbances. Yet over the years, there have been stories of mysterious accidents, illnesses, or misfortunes affecting actors and production teams involved in the play. For example:

• In the 19th century, the famous kabuki actor Shinkanshi Gonjūrō played the role of Iemon. Shortly after performing the play, he died under mysterious circumstances.
• In 1919, during one of the earliest film adaptations, several crew members and actors fell seriously ill or suffered injuries during production. After multiple setbacks, the director halted filming and led the entire cast to Oiwa’s grave to offer prayers. After the visit, no further misfortunes were reported.
• In 1976 during a kabuki performance, an actor playing Iemon mysteriously slipped and broke his leg on stage. The fall occurred in a scene where Iemon sees Oiwa’s ghost, and some believed it was her spirit taking revenge. After the incident, a purification ritual took place and the rest of the performances continued smoothly.
• In 1995, during a modern film adaptation, the lead actress playing Oiwa developed an unexplained skin rash on her face, eerily similar to Oiwa’s poisoned disfigurement. Also, a lighting technician was electrocuted (but survived) on set, and filming was further delayed by frequent equipment malfunction. These strange occurrences stopped after the cast and crew visited Myōgyō-ji Temple to pray for forgiveness.

... hence the ongoing visits to Oiwa's grave by cast and crew.