The Ghost Story of Yotsuya (1959)

The descendant of the servant of a cruel and vicious samurai returns to the town where she was born, only to find that a cat who is possessed by the spirits of those murdered by the samurai is trying to kill her.

A blind masseur visits a samurai to request the return of a loan. The samurai kills him in anger, then has his servant dump the body in the Kasane swamp. However, the ghost of the masseur returns to haunt the samurai, who kills his wife by mistake and then goes to the swamp and drowns himself. 20 years later, the masseur's daughter unknowingly falls in love with the samurai's son who has been brought up to be a servant.

A samurai warrior is haunted by the spirit of his first wife.
Based on a tale that had been adapted many times before it tells the story of a samurai tormented by the death of his ex-wife which he had part in. Gradually he begins to lose his mind as he is besieged by haunting visions.

This Daei Studio Horror movie version utilises the legendary Yotsuya Kaidan storyline. This version is by director Kazuo Mori, who is best known for the episodes of "Zaitoichi". The complicated storyline takes place around 1786 and concerns the life of a masterless samurai, Lemon who is unhappy in marriage with his ill wife Oiwa and hates working for a living doing assembly piecework for umbrellas. Lemon concocts a plan for an arranged and profitable marriage to Oume, a rich young lady, so that he can live the life he desires. He hires thugs to attack the young and rich Lady and Lemon battles them off. In gratitude, Oume gives a gift of "medicine" for Lemon's sick wife. It's actually a poison. Lemon uses it to kill his wife. She dies and her ghost takes revenge.

Oiwa has been searching for the one who killed her father for a long time. She comes to Yedo and sees a man named Naosuke. The film is based on the kabuki classic: Toukaidou Yotsuya Kaidan (1826) written by Tsuruya Nanboku and is one of the most famous ghost stories throughout Japan

Iemon Tamiya is an impovershed masterless samurai who craves a better life, which he cannot have because of his marriage to Oiwa, who is completely devoted to her husband.

Classic Japanese horror! And even if Yotsuya Kaidan is older, it doesn't mean it's not scary!