Oiwa is the tragic character from arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time, Yotsuya Kaidan, a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. In the story, the tragic heroine is disfigured by a poison, given to her by her husband's mistress. Horrified by her appearance, she commits suicide cursing her husband's cruelty. Oiwa's ghost returns to enact vengeance upon those who plotted against her in life.
Oiwa's ghost is very unique, in that she bears the hideous scars of the poison gave her in life, including her left eye, which droops down her face, and partial baldness, another effect of the poison.
Oiwa is supposedly burred at temple Myogyo-ji, in Sugamo. The dates of her death is listed as February 22, 1636.
1 comment:
I'm really loving the 31 Amigurumi in October this year- it's awesome since I didn't know the stories behind any of this year's spirits and creatures, and learning about them is cool.
Thanks for doing this!
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