In Japan, there is a custom of listening to scary stories, or ghost stories, in the summer. There are various types of ghost stories, and there are even ghost stories related to Japanese musical instruments. There are movies such as “Kaidan Nazo no Shamisen” and “Koto Kyogen” that remain as examples of this.
“Kaidan Nazo no Shamisen” is a Japanese horror movie released in 1938. It was directed by Ushihara Kiyohiko and starred Sumiko Suzuki. The plot of the movie is about a woman who visits a place called “Shamisen Horii,” where there is a rumor that you can hear the sound of a shamisen. There she meets a man who plays the shamisen. The man invites her to his house. However, when she goes to his house, something terrible happens.
“Koto Kyogen” is a story about a woman who plays the koto and kills people one after another in order to revive herself. The movie effectively uses the sound of Japanese musical instruments such as the koto to enhance the sense of fear.
There are many other ghost stories that feature Japanese musical instruments.
Japanese traditional culture is very deep, ranging from pure art to subculture. Let’s take our time to watch and listen.
Leave a review