Japan's scariest ghost story - Kit Brooks

00:06:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQu7DEhpr-8

Résumé

TLDRThis narrative revolves around Oiwa, a woman plunged into despair after the brutal murder of her father by her husband, the samurai Iemon. Oiwa's plight deepens as she learns of Iemon's treachery; he concocts a plan with a wealthy doctor to dispose of her in favor of his granddaughter. Oiwa ultimately succumbs to poison and curses Iemon. Following her tragic death, Oiwa's spirit seeks vengeance against Iemon, leading to a haunting series of events where he is tormented and punished for his crimes. Oiwa's story has become an iconic tale in Japanese culture, particularly within Kabuki theater, where her narrative is brought to life with innovative effects and still resonates today as a symbol of ghostly revenge and respect.

A retenir

  • 😞 Oiwa is devastated by her father's murder.
  • ⚔️ Iemon orchestrates the murder to escape his marriage.
  • 🏥 A doctor's scheme leads to Oiwa's poisoning.
  • 😱 Oiwa dies cursing her husband.
  • 👻 Iemon is haunted by Oiwa's spirit after her death.
  • 💀 Oiwa's ghost punishes Iemon and his associates.
  • 🗡️ Iemon's descent into madness follows his actions.
  • 🏔️ He seeks refuge in a mountain hermitage.
  • 🎭 Oiwa's story becomes a popular Kabuki performance.
  • 🌌 Oiwa is now a revered ghost in Japanese culture.

Chronologie

  • 00:00:00 - 00:06:02

    Oiwa faces despair as her father's brutal murder leaves her trapped in a miserable marriage to the cruel samurai Iemon. While her husband and brother-in-law seek the murderer, they are unaware that Iemon himself killed her father to prevent her from leaving him. Meanwhile, a wealthy doctor devises a scheme to have Iemon marry his granddaughter, offering riches in exchange for Oiwa's demise. Takuetsu, sent to kill Oiwa, is horrified by her condition and informs her of the plot, but in a tragic turn, Oiwa accidentally wounds herself with a sword while confronting her husband. Iemon, upon discovering her death, celebrates his impending remarriage but is haunted by Oiwa's ghost and his own violent actions, leading to more death and chaos. Oiwa's spirit seeks vengeance, ultimately leading to the demise of Iemon's family and friends, solidifying her legacy as Japan's most famous ghost, inspiring countless performances and storytelling traditions.

Carte mentale

Vidéo Q&R

  • Who killed Oiwa's father?

    Her husband, Iemon, murdered him.

  • What was Oiwa's father's intention before his death?

    He tried to end Oiwa's unhappy marriage to Iemon.

  • What kind of scheme did the wealthy doctor devise?

    He wanted Iemon to leave Oiwa for his granddaughter, offering riches in return.

  • What happened to Oiwa after she was poisoned?

    She cursed Iemon's name and died after accidentally falling on a sword.

  • What happened to Iemon after he remarried?

    He was haunted and tormented by Oiwa's ghost, leading to further violence.

  • Where did Iemon flee after the deaths?

    He fled to a mountain hermitage.

  • What is Oiwa recognized as today?

    Japan’s most famous ghost.

  • How is Oiwa's story depicted in Kabuki theater?

    With gruesome narratives and innovative special effects.

  • What respect is shown to Oiwa in modern storytelling?

    Storytellers often ask for her spirit’s permission at her rumored grave.

  • What themes does Oiwa's story highlight?

    Betrayal, revenge, and the legacy of spirits.

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Sous-titres
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Défilement automatique:
  • 00:00:06
    Looking at her father’s brutally murdered body,
  • 00:00:10
    Oiwa was sick with despair.
  • 00:00:13
    Her father had been Oiwa’s only hope for ending her marriage
  • 00:00:17
    to the cruel and dishonorable samurai Iemon.
  • 00:00:22
    And now, while her husband and brother-in-law vowed to find the culprit,
  • 00:00:27
    Oiwa was trapped in her unhappy home with only the household servant Kohei
  • 00:00:33
    to witness her suffering.
  • 00:00:36
    What the grieving woman couldn’t guess,
  • 00:00:38
    however, was just how close the killer was.
  • 00:00:42
    After Oiwa’s father tried to end the marriage,
  • 00:00:46
    it was Iemon who murdered him in cold blood.
  • 00:00:51
    Hearing of her troubles,
  • 00:00:53
    Oiwa’s wealthy doctor neighbor sent some medicine to soothe her.
  • 00:00:58
    However, when Iemon went to offer thanks,
  • 00:01:02
    the doctor revealed his gift was part of a sordid scheme.
  • 00:01:07
    His beautiful young granddaughter was madly in love with Iemon,
  • 00:01:11
    and if the samurai left Oiwa for her, the doctor would offer him great riches.
  • 00:01:18
    Iemon happily accepted this bargain, and eager to marry his new bride,
  • 00:01:23
    he sent a man called Takuetsu to dispose of his poisoned wife.
  • 00:01:29
    But when Takuetsu arrived in Oiwa’s room, he was appalled.
  • 00:01:35
    The poison had swollen her eye
  • 00:01:38
    and her hair fell to the floor in bloody clumps.
  • 00:01:42
    Taking pity, Takuetsu told Oiwa about the doctor’s scheme.
  • 00:01:49
    Furious, Oiwa lunged for a sword.
  • 00:01:52
    Takuetsu wrestled it away and flung the blade across the room.
  • 00:01:57
    But when Oiwa ran to confront her husband, she stumbled,
  • 00:02:01
    falling against the sword.
  • 00:02:03
    Wounded and poisoned, Oiwa cursed Iemon’s name
  • 00:02:08
    as the life left her body.
  • 00:02:11
    At the discovery of his wife's demise,
  • 00:02:14
    Iemon arranged to remarry that very night—
  • 00:02:17
    but not before killing his servant Kohei, who heard Oiwa’s death.
  • 00:02:23
    While Iemon celebrated his wedding,
  • 00:02:25
    his friends nailed both corpses to a heavy door
  • 00:02:29
    and sunk them in a nearby river.
  • 00:02:33
    That night, Iemon reveled in his successful scheme.
  • 00:02:37
    But suddenly his bride’s sleeping face
  • 00:02:41
    shifted into Oiwa’s tortured features.
  • 00:02:45
    Iemon acted on his violent instincts, slashing her throat.
  • 00:02:50
    But when his fear subsided, he realized that he’d killed his new wife.
  • 00:02:56
    He stumbled out of the room and into another monstrous figure
  • 00:02:59
    wearing the face of his deceased servant.
  • 00:03:03
    The samurai ran his sword through the man—
  • 00:03:05
    only to discover he’d slain his new grandfather-in-law as well.
  • 00:03:11
    Iemon fled the house, running frantically until he came upon a moonlit river.
  • 00:03:17
    Here, he stopped to plot his next move, fishing as he thought.
  • 00:03:22
    Soon his fishing rod began to twitch,
  • 00:03:25
    but the harder he pulled, the heavier his catch became.
  • 00:03:29
    Finally, a wooden door broke the river’s surface—
  • 00:03:33
    with Oiwa’s writhing body on one side and Kohei’s on the other.
  • 00:03:39
    Iemon ran for days,
  • 00:03:43
    finally taking shelter in a mountain hermitage.
  • 00:03:46
    Over the following months,
  • 00:03:48
    he tried to convince himself these horrible visions were just illusions—
  • 00:03:53
    but his nightmares never relented.
  • 00:03:57
    One night, as he attempted to walk off another bad dream,
  • 00:04:00
    a nearby lantern began to crackle and tear.
  • 00:04:05
    The paper stretched larger and larger
  • 00:04:09
    until Oiwa’s ghost appeared in a blaze of fire.
  • 00:04:14
    Iemon begged for mercy, but Oiwa had none to offer.
  • 00:04:20
    Over just 24 hours, the spirit slaughtered his parents and friends,
  • 00:04:26
    and tortured the samurai with ravenous rats.
  • 00:04:29
    Only when Iemon was truly hopeless did Oiwa enlist her brother-in-law
  • 00:04:36
    to secure bloody justice for her and her father.
  • 00:04:41
    In the 19th century, Oiwa’s quest for vengeance
  • 00:04:45
    was one of the most popular kabuki theater performances,
  • 00:04:48
    renowned for its grisly narrative and groundbreaking special effects.
  • 00:04:54
    To depict Oiwa’s iconic transformation,
  • 00:04:57
    designers hid bags of fake blood in her wig.
  • 00:05:01
    And for her grand, ghostly entrance,
  • 00:05:04
    Oiwa’s actor really would emerge from a flaming lantern,
  • 00:05:08
    doing an assisted handstand to look as though she’s descending from above.
  • 00:05:14
    Today, Oiwa is considered Japan’s most famous ghost,
  • 00:05:19
    and her image continues to inspire counterparts in film and television.
  • 00:05:24
    But those who retell her story still tread carefully,
  • 00:05:29
    often asking her spirit’s permission at her rumored grave in Tokyo.
  • 00:05:34
    In this way, modern storytellers continue to give Oiwa
  • 00:05:39
    the respect— and fear—
  • 00:05:42
    she so rightfully deserves.
Tags
  • Oiwa
  • Iemon
  • Ghost
  • Kabuki
  • Revenge
  • Betrayal
  • Japanese folklore
  • Tragedy
  • Cursed spirit
  • Theater