The Canon / Parallax Editorial Archive
Curated by Pedro Neves, Founder of Parallax
Kwaidan
怪談
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
1964•3h 3m•NR•★ 7.9
Drama / Fantasy / Horror
Synopsis
An anthology of four traditional Japanese ghost stories adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's folk tales, filmed entirely on massive soundstage sets with dazzling expressionist color and avant-garde sound design. Masaki Kobayashi's breathtaking visual spectacle.
Official Trailer
Click poster preview to play
Watch Official Trailer
Kwaidan
Curator Notes
No curator notes yet
Start documenting your personal thoughts about this edition.
Director Spotlight
Cinematic Profile
Masaki Kobayashi
Editorial Context
Continue Exploring
Cast & Crew
DirectorMasaki Kobayashi
WriterYōko Mizuki
CinematographyYoshio Miyajima
MusicTōru Takemitsu
Principal Cast
Michiyo AratamaFirst Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Rentaro MikuniHusband (segment "The Black Hair")
Misako WatanabeSecond Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Kenjirō IshiyamaFather (segment "The Black Hair")
Fumie Kitahara(segment "The Black Hair")
RA
Ranko AkagiMother (segment "The Black Hair")KM
Kappei Matsumoto(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)YI
Yoshiko Ieda(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)Technical Specifications
Runtime3h 3m (183 mins)
Catalogued Editions
No catalogued editions found for this film.
Collector Status
Not Yet Collected
Production Details
DirectorMasaki Kobayashi
LanguagesJapanese
CountryJP
StudioNinjin Club • Toho
Collector Actions (Future)
Mark as Watched
Rate Film
Add Personal Notes
Add Edition
Start Viewing Session
About
Support
Buy Me a Coffee ☕
Enjoying Parallax? Buy me a coffee and help keep the lights on. ☕