A collection of three of Japan’s most famous ghost stories that have haunted people for centuries. Kenji Misumi (Lone Wolf and Cub) directs The Ghost of Yotsuya, in which a woman returns from the grave as a horribly disfigured phantom to torment her husband and his new bride. In The Snow Woman, directed by Tokuzo Tanaka (Zatoichi), a woodcutter must keep his oath to a vengeful female spirit or pay the ultimate price. The Bride from Hades by Satsuo Yamamoto (Shinobi) sees a handsome samurai so enchanted by a courtesan’s beauty that he fails to realise that is a ghost. These three film versions from the Daiei studio form a pinnacle of atmospheric Japanese horror. Their elegant visuals and ominous shadows rival the best of Terence Fisher or Mario Bava, while their iconic female ghosts would greatly influence Asian genre cinema, from Hong Kong fantasy spectacles such as A Chinese Ghost Story to J-horror.

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Video Quality

The Ghost of Yotsuya, The Snow Woman, and The Bride from Hades debut on Blu-Ray domestically courtesy of Radiance Films with 4K masters supplied by Kadokawa. There is a slight bit of confusion regarding The Ghost of Yotsuya as the packaging and booklet list it as having a 4K restoration, but the retailer site says it’s an HD master. The film also does not have a screen detailing the new 4K restoration before the start of the movie like The Snow Woman and The Bride from Hades. It also simply does not look as good as the confirmed 4K restorations, but the difference is not egregious no matter what the case may be. These three films share countless overlapping qualities, so they will be discussed as a group with any notable differences pointed out.

The star of the show in terms of video quality is The Snow Woman with The Bride from Hades right behind it. The new transfers retain a respectable sheen of natural film grain which resolves consistently with no ugly splotches or swarming spotted across any of the three films. The color photography has some occasional temperature variance, most noticeably in The Ghost of Yotsuya, but the hues saturate the screen well for the most part. The contrast holds up with stable highlights and no serious instances of black crush. There is a feast of detail viewed for the first time in the costumes and production design. Minor softness in the original photography is present, but there is almost nothing to complain about thanks to the quality of the master. Occasional fleeting specks linger, but we largely get a clean and authentic transfer for each film. Radiance Films keeps putting forth great work.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set comes with an LPCM 2.0 mono track for each film that sounds sturdy. The tracks are presented in the original Japanese (with optional English subtitles) and brought to life on these discs with great confidence. These narratives work well with creepy environmental sounds to provide texture to the world. Every element emanates with decent fidelity and little in the way of age-related wear and tear outside of minor fuzziness. The scores composed for these three features come through without irredeemable signs of age or weakness. Dialogue pleases with fine clarity and no serious signs of damage or distortion. Exchanges never get clipped by the sound effects or the score. Radiance Films has done a standup job with this set.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray box set of Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories includes an 80-page book featuring new writing by authors Tom Mes and Zack Davisson, newly translated archival reviews, and ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn. All of these articles offer terrific insights into the features. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One – The Ghost of Yotsuya

Kiyoshi Kurosawa: A 20-minute interview with the master director (Cloud) in which he speaks about why this version of the story is his favorite and the scariest, how it functions as an adaptation, the makeup effects, the execution of certain set pieces, and more.

The Endless Curse of Oiwa: A new 22-minute visual essay from author Kyoko Hirano that delves into the adaptations of this story, how this version from Kenji Misumi stands apart, the performances, and more.

Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided.

Disc Two – The Snow Woman

Masayuki Ochiai: A 20-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he speaks about how yokai differ from ghosts, the legend of the snow woman, how this adaptation handles the material, some of the thematic elements explored, and more.

The Haunted Mind of Lafcadio Hearn: A new seven-minute video essay from author Paul Murray on author Lafcadio Hearn including his early life and how the gothic influenced his output.

Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.

Disc Three – The Bride From Hades

Audio Commentary: A new commentary track with author Jasper Sharp in which he discusses the background of the production, the careers of the talent involved, where this falls into the history of the studio, how it compares to the competition, and more.

Hiroshi Takahashi: An 18-minute interview with the Ring screenwriter in which he speaks about the impact of this film, how this adaptation handles the material, some of the thematic elements explored, and more.

Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

The Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories set contains three spooky supernatural tales that call forth classic folklore with a fresh take on the material. The handcrafted nature of these productions lends to the eeriness of the stories that get more unsettling the more you dig into the set. Our personal favorite is The Snow Woman, but there is not a weak outing in the bunch. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a strong A/V presentation and some informative special features. If you love tales of spirits upending the peace, these are worth a spin. Highly Recommended

Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.