Kwaidan
怪談
“In the tradition of "RASHOMON" and "GATE OF HELL."”
Synopsis
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official 4K Restoration Trailer [Subtitled]Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-08-15
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Michiyo Aratama
First Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Rentaro Mikuni
Husband (segment "The Black Hair")
Misako Watanabe
Second Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Kenjirō Ishiyama
Father (segment "The Black Hair")
Ranko Akagi
Mother (segment "The Black Hair")
Fumie Kitahara
(segment "The Black Hair")
Kappei Matsumoto
(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Yoshiko Ieda
(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Otome Tsukimiya
(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Kenzō Tanaka
(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Kiyoshi Nakano
(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Tatsuya Nakadai
Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Keiko Kishi
Yuki the Snow Maiden (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Yūko Mochizuki
Minokichi's Mother (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Kin Sugai
Village Woman (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Noriko Sengoku
Village Woman (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
Akiko Nomura
(segment "The Woman of the Snow") (uncredited)
Torahiko Hamada
(segment "The Woman of the Snow") (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
4k restoration, Cinémathèque française
Festival / Special Debut
July 15, 1965
Wide Cinema Exhibition
May 27, 2020
VOD & Digital Platforms
October 10, 2000
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Masaki Kobayashi
- Screenplay & Story
- Yōko Mizuki
- Original Score
- Tōru Takemitsu
- Original Title
- 怪談
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 3h 3m
- Production Studios
- Ninjin Club, TOHO
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Masaki Kobayashi
Yōko Mizuki, Lafcadio Hearn
Tōru Takemitsu
Yoshio Miyajima
Hisashi Sagara
Shigeru Wakatsuki
Department Leadership Roster
Masaki Kobayashi
Director
Yōko Mizuki
Screenplay
Shigeru Wakatsuki
Producer
Tōru Takemitsu
Original Music Composer
Hisashi Sagara
Editor
Masahiro Katō
Costume Design
Yoshio Miyajima
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Kwaidan.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Kwaidan.
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:07 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
Movie Collection
Asian Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Limelight Not Seen
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kwaidan
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Kwaidan about?
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.
Who directed Kwaidan?
Kwaidan was directed by Masaki Kobayashi.
Who stars in Kwaidan?
The principal cast of Kwaidan includes Michiyo Aratama, Rentaro Mikuni, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirō Ishiyama, Ranko Akagi.
When was Kwaidan released and how long is it?
Kwaidan was released in 1965 with a total runtime of 3h 3m.
Who composed the musical score for Kwaidan?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Kwaidan was composed by Tōru Takemitsu.
Is Kwaidan based on a book or true story?
Kwaidan is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Lafcadio Hearn".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Kwaidan?
Kwaidan holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); FR: TP; GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).