If you’ve ever thought your ex was clingy, you clearly haven’t met Oiwa, Japan’s most famous ghost. Her story is the beating, disfigured heart of Yotsuya Kaidan, the most-performed kabuki ghost play in history.

Let’s unpack why Oiwa’s terrifying face and eternal grudge still haunt the Japanese imagination — and a few unlucky actors, too.

Oiwa (お岩), also called Oiwa-san (お岩さん) in Japanese with some respect, is one of the most vengeful ghosts (Onryo) in Japan. She gained a fame with the tale of Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談), which has been featured in several media from stage plays like Kabuki to some modern TV shows.

But long before she became the spectral poster child for betrayed women everywhere, she was, by all accounts, your average Edo-period wife. She was married to Tamiya Iemon (田宮伊右衛門), who, in case you were hoping for a nice romantic tale, was about as loyal as a cat at a fish market.

When Iemon decided he fancied another woman, he naturally concluded that poisoning his current wife was the civilised thing to do. No messy divorce here, thank you very much.

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The Story of Yotsuya Kaidan

Oiwa in real life is said to have died in 1636 in the Edo period. But almost 200 years later, she gained fame in the Japanese horror scene.

Welcome to Yotsuya Kaidan (more precisely, it’s been called Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan/東海道四谷怪談): a delightful bedtime story that’s been terrifying kabuki audiences since 1825. It goes something like this:

It all kicks off in 1338. Oiwa — that’s our soon-to-be-ghost — is the daughter of Yotsuya Samon (四谷左門). She’s dragged back to her family home because her charming husband, Iemon (伊右衛門), is basically allergic to fidelity. Naturally, Iemon doesn’t take this well. When Samon refuses to hand Oiwa back and has the audacity to bring up Iemon’s small habit of embezzling public funds, Iemon decides the obvious solution is to murder him in the street — but make it look like the work of some random bandit. Subtle.

Meanwhile, in the same neighbourhood drama, a sleazy medicine peddler named Naosuke (直助) fancies Oiwa’s sister, Sode (袖). Unfortunately for him, Sode’s already married to Sato Yomoshichi (佐藤与茂七). So, Naosuke does what any lovestruck creep would do and murders him, too. Perfect timing: Oiwa and Sode arrive just in time to find both corpses, but Iemon and Naosuke spin some heroic nonsense about avenging these ‘tragic murders’. The sisters buy it. Naturally.

So, Iemon worms his way back into Oiwa’s good graces, and Naosuke moves in with Sode. What could possibly go wrong?

Fast forward: Oiwa gives birth, but she’s weak and sickly. Iemon, being the romantic hero he is, decides he’s had enough of his ailing wife. Enter Ume (梅), the granddaughter of Ito Kihei (伊藤喜兵衛), a well-connected retainer of the high-ranking Takasinao clan. Ume has fallen for Iemon, and Kihei wants him as a son-in-law as well. Iemon, ever the opportunist, agrees to this new match on one condition: he wants a cushy job in the Takasinao household.

But how does one get rid of “Wife #1”, Oiwa? Easy. Iemon bribes Takuetsu (宅悦), the masseur, to seduce Oiwa, then accuses her of adultery so he can toss her out. But the poison she had taken — a lovely parting gift from Kihei — rots her face off before Takuetsu arrives. The sight of her own ruined face is too much for poor Takuetsu, who spills the entire scheme. Oiwa, now half-mad with rage and agony, accidentally stabs herself in the neck with a conveniently placed sword. Iemon, quick to tidy things up, frames his servant Kohei (小平) for an affair with Oiwa and has him butchered for good measure. Ever efficient, he lashes Oiwa’s and Kohei’s bodies to a door, like some macabre DIY project, and tosses them into the river.

Having ‘cleared the decks’, Iemon joins the Ito family, but no sooner has he arrived than the ghostly fun begins. On his wedding night, Oiwa’s ghost shows up — and keeps showing up — until he snaps, murders Ume and her doting grandfather, and flees like the weasel he is.

Meanwhile, Sode learns the grim truth about her sister’s death from Takuetsu. Desperate for revenge, she agrees to sleep with Naosuke if he’ll avenge Oiwa. But in a spectacular twist, her supposedly dead husband, Yomoshichi, reappears — which makes Sode’s new arrangement look, shall we say, less than faithful. Riddled with guilt, she lets herself be killed by both Yomoshichi and Naosuke. And in a final stroke of misery, Naosuke realises Sode was actually his long-lost sister. He promptly ends himself, because apparently that’s the done thing.

And Iemon? Our spineless anti-hero winds up hiding in a mountain hut, tormented by Oiwa’s ghost and an endless horde of rats nibbling at what’s left of his sanity. Yomoshichi tracks him down, swings a sword in the name of father-in-law and sister-in-law, and finally puts Iemon out of everyone’s misery.

Moral of the story? Poison your wife, betray everyone you know, and you too can end your days gnawed on by rodents and vengeful spirits. Charming, really.

Oiwa in Kabuki and Japanese Culture

Oiwa’s tale is the shining jewel of Japanese ghost stories — a prime example of a kaidan (怪談) that keeps audiences gleefully terrified. Yotsuya Kaidan became a kabuki staple precisely because people couldn’t resist watching a thoroughly nasty bit of retribution.

The Curse of Oiwa Ghost

You’d think that once the curtain falls, the terror would end. But oh no, not with Oiwa. Performers and filmmakers alike whisper about the so-called Oiwa Curse. Over the centuries, productions of Yotsuya Kaidan have been plagued by accidents, injuries, and suspicious deaths.

To this day, anyone staging the story is expected to pay a polite visit to Oiwa’s shrine to apologise in advance for dragging her tale out yet again. Forget flowers and chocolates — a proper Shinto ritual might stop your lead actor from mysteriously falling off the stage.

Yes. Oiwa’s vengeful spirit was so unsettling that people built an actual shrine to pacify her — the Oiwa Inari Shrine (お岩稲荷). Here, you can pay your respects, ask for forgiveness.

From kabuki to modern films, Oiwa has been reimagined countless times. Her disfigured face peering through an andon lantern remains one of the creepiest visuals in Japanese folklore, and stands as an icon of Japanese horror.

Then it’s common for actors to pray at Oiwa’s shrine before performances. Not because they’re superstitious, but because they’d really prefer not to join her ghostly fan club.

Oiwa isn’t just the ghost. She is also part of the original terrifying trio.

Yotsuya Kaidan is considered one of Japan’s Three Great Ghost Stories (日本三大怪談). And who are the other two members of this elite undead club?

From Sarayashiki (皿屋敷), the servant girl who was executed for accidentally breaking some expensive plates. She became the ghost and has dwelt in a well, long before Sadako decided to move in there.

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From Botan Doro (牡丹燈籠), the ghost who just wanted a bit of romance—except she was, you know, already dead. But love conquers all, including decomposition.

Oiwa… Never-Ending Curse of Yotsuya Kaidan

So, next time you think your breakup was messy, spare a thought for Tamiya Iemon and the unstoppable wrath of Oiwa. She’s the perfect reminder that some grudges never die — they just keep seeping through stage curtains, film reels, and the nightmares of anyone who dares to retell her story without showing the proper respect…