J-Horror
Encyclopedia
Japanese horror, or J-Horror, is Japan
ese horror fiction
in popular culture, noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre in light of western treatments. Japanese horror tends to focus on psychological horror
and tension building (anticipation
), particularly involving ghost
s and poltergeist
s, while many contain themes of folk religion
such as: possession, exorcism
, shamanism
, precognition
, and yōkai
.
classics of the Edo period
and the Meiji period
, which were known as kaidan
. Elements of several of these popular folktales have been worked into the stories of modern films, especially in the traditional nature of the Japanese ghost
.
Ghost stories have an even older history in Japanese literature
, dating back to at least the Heian period
(794-1185). Konjaku Monogatarishū
written during that time featured a number of ghost stories from India
, China
and Japan.
, including Tomie
, Uzumaki
and Yogen
.
In the past few years several of the more popular Japanese horror films have been entirely remade. Ring was one of the first to be remade in America as The Ring
, and later The Ring Two
(although this remake bears almost no similarity to the original Japanese sequel).
Here is a list of some Japanese horror films that have been remade for the US market.
With the exception of The Ring, every one of the J-Horror remake has received negative reviews. The Ring 3D has not been released yet, so it does not have any reviews yet.
Many of the original directors who created these Asian horror films have gone on to direct the American remakes. For example, Hideo Nakata
, director of Ring, directed the remake The Ring Two and Takashi Shimizu
, director of the original Ju-on, directed the remake The Grudge and its sequel, The Grudge 2
.
Several other Asian countries have been remaking these Japanese horror films as well. For example, South Korea
created their own version of the Japanese horror classic Ring, titled The Ring Virus
.
Inspired by current trends in Japanese horror, the first film by Los Angeles
-based writer-director Jason Cuadrado, Tales From The Dead
, is a horror film in four parts which Cuadrado filmed with a cast of Japanese actors speaking their native language.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese horror fiction
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
in popular culture, noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre in light of western treatments. Japanese horror tends to focus on psychological horror
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
and tension building (anticipation
Anticipation
Anticipation can refer to:* Anticipation , a 1971 album by Carly Simon* Anticipation , the title track of this album* Anticipation , a 2008 comedy album by Lewis Black*Anticipation...
), particularly involving ghost
Yurei
are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
s and poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
s, while many contain themes of folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
such as: possession, exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
, shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
, and yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
.
Origins
The origin of the Japanese horror can be traced to horror and ghost storyGhost story
A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
classics of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, which were known as kaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
. Elements of several of these popular folktales have been worked into the stories of modern films, especially in the traditional nature of the Japanese ghost
Yurei
are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
.
Ghost stories have an even older history in Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
, dating back to at least the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
(794-1185). Konjaku Monogatarishū
Konjaku Monogatarishu
is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian period . The entire collection was originally contained in 31 volumes, of which only 28 remain today...
written during that time featured a number of ghost stories from India
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
, China
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
and Japan.
Notable films
Examples of this type are:- Audition (aka Ōdishon)
- CarvedCarved (film)Carved with the Japanese title Kuchisake-onna, is a J-Horror movie, released on August 14, 2007, directed by Kôji Shiraishi and written by Naoyuki Yokota and Kôji Shiraishi....
(A.K.A The Slit-Mouthed Woman)Kuchisake-onna - CureCure (film)is a 1997 thriller film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Koji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki and Anna Nakagawa.- Synopsis :...
- Cursed (Yoshihiro Hoshino, 2004)
- Dark Tales of JapanDark Tales of Japanis a collection of five short horror films that are directed by five notable Japanese film directors.The five tales are:Episode 1: Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura; teleplay by Yoshihiro Nakamura; starring Shôzô Endô, Yoshinori Okada, Miyako Yamaguchi, Yôko Maki, Anri Sugihara, and Kanako...
series (various directors) - Dark WaterDark Water (2002 film)Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese drama-horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of Ring and Ring 2. Dark Water is based on Floating Water, a short story by Koji Suzuki. Its Japanese name is Honogurai mizu no soko kara , which is also the name of the horror anthology by Koji Suzuki...
(aka Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara) - Eko Eko AzarakEko Eko Azarak (manga)is a Japanese manga by Shinichi Koga. This is also known as the Wizard of Darkness. The manga serves as the basis of live-action TV-series and live-action movies.- Plot summary :...
series - Forbidden Siren
- Gakkō no Kaidan and its 3 sequels
- Guinea Pig (film series)Guinea Pig (film series)The are a series of seven controversial Japanese gore-slasher horror films from the 1980s and 1990s. The series achieved global notoriety mostly for the first two films as the producer needed to prove that nobody was actually hurt or murdered...
Flower of Flesh and Blood - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Live ActionHigurashi no Naku Koro ni, known simply as When They Cry for the North American release of the anime adaptation, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft sound novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The games are built on the NScripter game engine and are playable on Microsoft Windows PCs...
(aka When The Cicadas Cry) - Ichi The KillerIchi the Killeris a 2001 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike, based on Hideo Yamamoto's manga series of the same name.- Plot : While alone with a prostitute, crime lord Anjo is brutally murdered...
(2001) - Infection (aka Kansen)
- JigokuJigoku (film)is a 1960 Japanese horror film, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and starring Utako Mitsuya and Shigeru Amachi. Jigoku was re-made in 1970 by Tatsumi Kumashiro, and later re-made again under the title of Japanese Hell by Teruo Ishii in 1999....
(1960) - Jisatsu saakuru (aka Suicide Club or Suicide Circle)
- Ju-onJu-onis the title of a series of horror films by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu. Shimizu attended the Film School of Tokyo, where he studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Kurosawa helped Shimizu shepherd the Ju-on projects to fruition.-History:...
, Ju-on 2Ju-on 2Ju-on 2 is the second film in the Japanese Ju-on series. The film was released in Japan on March 25, 2000 and was later released onto video on April 14, 2000....
, Ju-on: The GrudgeJu-on: The Grudgeis a 2003 Japanese horror film written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. The film is the third entry in the Ju-on series and is the first film theatrically released...
, Ju-on: The Grudge 2Ju-on: The Grudge 2Ju-on: The Grudge 2 is a 2003 Japanese horror film and the fourth in the Ju-on series written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. The film was released in Japan on August 23, 2003.... - KairoKairo (film)is a 2001 Japanese horror film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The film was based on his novel of the same name, and was released in the United States in 2005 as Pulse. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
(aka Pulse) - KakashiKakashi, is a manga by Junji Ito. In 2001, it was adapted into a live-action Japanese horror film directed by Norio Tsuruta.-Synopsis:Kaoru Yoshikawa's brother, Tsuyoshi has been missing for a week. She visits his apartment for clues and find an envelope containing bits of grain and a letter from Izumi...
- Pyrokinesis (2000)
- KwaidanKwaidan (film)is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folk tales. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning...
(1964) - Marebito (2004)
- Naked BloodNaked Bloodis a 1996 Japanese horror film directed by Hisayasu Satō. It is a remake of Satō's 1987 film, , and, according to Allmovie, "contains one of the most appalling scenes in Japanese horror." The film is not pornographic and contains only a mild sex scene near the end of the film.- Plot :A scientist...
- Noroi (The Curse)
- Onibaba (1964)
- One Missed Call (aka Chakushin Ari)
- One Missed Call 2Chakushin Ari 2One Missed Call 2 is the sequel to the J-Horror film One Missed Call.-Plot:Set a year after the original, One Missed Call 2 introduces Kyoko and her friend Madoka. Both women are teaching assistants at a kindergarten in the middle of Tokyo. Madoka persuades Kyoko to visit a restaurant where her ...
(aka Chakushin Ari 2) - One Missed Call: FinalOne Missed Call: FinalOne Missed Call: Final is the 3rd film of the One Missed Call franchise, released in 2006.-Plot:Emiri, a timid high school girl, is bullied mercilessly by her classmates, but when her friend, Asuka, stands up for her, Asuka becomes the target of the bullying instead. Emiri, not wanting to be...
(aka Chakushin Ari: Final) - Parasite Eve
- PremonitionYogenis a 2004 Japanese horror film directed by Tsuruta Norio. Yogen is based on the manga Kyoufu Shinbun by Jiro Tsunoda, published in "Shonen Champion" in 1973.- Plot :...
(aka Yogen) - ReincarnationReincarnation (film)is a 2005 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu and written by Takashi Shimizu and Masaki Adachi. Preceded by Infection and Premonition , Reincarnation is the third film in producer, Takashige Ichise's, as part of J-Horror Theater....
(aka Rinne) - RingRing (film)is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
, RasenRasenRasen is a sequel to the movie Ring. It is directed by Jōji Iida, and, as with the first movie, is based on the novel Spiral by Kōji Suzuki....
, Ring 2Ring 2, directed by Hideo Nakata, is the sequel to the Japanese horror film, Ring.Ring was originally a novel written by Koji Suzuki; its sequel, Rasen , was also adapted into a movie as the Ring movie's sequel...
, Ring 0: BirthdayRing 0: BirthdayRing 0: Birthday is a 2000 Japanese film. It's the prequel to the film Ring. It was directed by Norio Tsuruta, based on a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi. The film's screenplay is based on the short story Lemonheart from the Birthday anthology by Koji Suzuki. There is also a manga adaptation... - ShikokuShikoku (film)is a supernatural thriller film written and produced in Japan in 1999. It was directed by Shunichi Nagasaki and written by Kunimi Manda and Takenori Sento.-Title Significance:...
- Sweet Home
- Tales From The Dead (2007)
- Tetsuo: The Iron ManTetsuo: The Iron ManTetsuo: The Iron Man is a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk film by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto produced by Japan Home Video. This, his third film, is an extremely graphic but also strikingly-filmed fantasy shot in the same low-budget, underground-production style as his first two films...
(aka Tetsuo) - Tokyo Gore PoliceTokyo Gore Policeis a 2008 Japanese gore film co-written, edited, and directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura and stars Eihi Shiina as Ruka, a vengeful police officer.Tokyo Gore Police was released to several film festivals in North America...
TGP - VersusVersus (film)is a 2000 Japanese action/horror film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.-Synopsis:After escaping from police custody, Prisoner KSC2-303 and a fellow escapee join with a group of mobsters in a forest that is one of the 666 portals that act as a connection between this world and the next, called "The...
- Tomie (film series)Tomie (film series)is a Japanese horror film series based on Junji Ito's manga series of the same name.- Casting :Tomie is played by a different actress in each film, and the role is as coveted by Japanese actresses as Emmanuelle is in France...
- Voice
- Unholy WomenUnholy Womenis a 2006 Japanese film. It is a compilation of 3 separate short horror films written and directed by Keita Amemiya, Takuji Suzuki, and Keisuke Toyoshima respectively.-Segments:-Cast:* Rattle Rattle** Noriko Nakagoshi ... Kanako...
- UzumakiUzumaki (film)is a Japanese horror film directed by Higuchinsky. Uzumaki, released in 2000, is based on Junji Ito's episodic manga of the same name.The plot concerns a town infected with malevolent spirals...
- Master Satan
Notable directors
- Akihiro Higuchi (UzumakiUzumakiis a horror manga written and Illustrated by Junji Ito, and serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits.The story concerns the inhabitants of the small Japanese town of Kurôzu-cho as they become obsessed by the occurrences of natural and artificial spirals around them...
, based on Ito Junji's manga of the same name) - Masaki Kobayashi
- Kiyoshi KurosawaKiyoshi Kurosawais a Japanese filmmaker. He is best known for his many contributions to the Japanese horror genre.-Biography:Born in Kobe on July 19, 1955, Kiyoshi Kurosawa is not related to director Akira Kurosawa...
- Takashi MiikeTakashi Miikeis a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions...
- Nobuo NakagawaNobuo Nakagawawas a Japanese film director, most famous for the stylized, folk tale-influenced horror films he made in the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:Born in Kyoto, Nakagawa was early on influenced by proletarian literature and wrote amateur film reviews to the Kinema Junpō film magazine. He joined Makino Film...
- Hideo NakataHideo NakataHideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water...
- Ataru OikawaAtaru Oikawa-Filmography:* Tomie * Lovers' Kiss * Einstein Girl * Tomie: Beginning * Tomie: Revenge * Apartment 1303 * Kisshō Tennyo * Higurashi no Naku Koro ni...
(TomieTomie (film series)is a Japanese horror film series based on Junji Ito's manga series of the same name.- Casting :Tomie is played by a different actress in each film, and the role is as coveted by Japanese actresses as Emmanuelle is in France...
, based on Ito Junji's mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
of the same name) - Takashi ShimizuTakashi ShimizuTakashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
- Kaneto ShindoKaneto Shindo, Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His best known films include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note.Shindō has often made films dealing with Hiroshima or the atomic bomb...
- Kôji ShiraishiKōji Shiraishiis a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is primarily known for directing Japanese horror films, most notably The Curse.-Background:Kōji Shiraishi was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan...
- Sion SonoSion Sonois a controversial Japanese filmmaker and poet. He was born in Toyokawa, Aichi, Japan, and is best known for his films as well as avant-garde poetry performances.-Early career:...
(Suicide ClubSuicide ClubThe Suicide Club was a secret society in San Francisco credited as the first modern extreme urban exploration society, and also known for anarchic group pranks.-History:...
and Strange CircusStrange Circus-Plot:School principal Ozawa Gozo rapes his daughter, Mitsuko, after she sees her parents having sex. Her mother Sayuri witnesses the rape. Gozo now rapes both of them as he pleases, while his family is undermined by incest, suicide, and murder... such is the erotic novel wheel-bound novelist Taeko...
) - Norio Tsuruta (YogenYogenis a 2004 Japanese horror film directed by Tsuruta Norio. Yogen is based on the manga Kyoufu Shinbun by Jiro Tsunoda, published in "Shonen Champion" in 1973.- Plot :...
, Borei Gakkyu and Ring 0: BirthdayRing 0: BirthdayRing 0: Birthday is a 2000 Japanese film. It's the prequel to the film Ring. It was directed by Norio Tsuruta, based on a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi. The film's screenplay is based on the short story Lemonheart from the Birthday anthology by Koji Suzuki. There is also a manga adaptation...
)
Anime and manga
Certain popular Japanese horror films are based on mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, including Tomie
Tomie
is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. The manga has been adapted into a series of films, with the first coming out in 1997.-Plot:...
, Uzumaki
Uzumaki
is a horror manga written and Illustrated by Junji Ito, and serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits.The story concerns the inhabitants of the small Japanese town of Kurôzu-cho as they become obsessed by the occurrences of natural and artificial spirals around them...
and Yogen
Yogen
is a 2004 Japanese horror film directed by Tsuruta Norio. Yogen is based on the manga Kyoufu Shinbun by Jiro Tsunoda, published in "Shonen Champion" in 1973.- Plot :...
.
Video games
- CallingCalling (video game)Calling, or in Japan, is a survival horror video game developed by Hudson Soft exclusively for the Wii console. The game was released in Japan on November 29, 2009 and in North America on March 9, 2010.-Plot:...
- CastlevaniaCastlevaniaCastlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
- Clock TowerClock Tower (series)Clock Tower is a stealth-based survival horror adventure video game series, created by Human Entertainment and continued by Sunsoft. The series plays like a horror film and unlike some of the other survival horror games, the Clock Tower series does not focus on shooting creatures or using violence,...
(inspired by European horror) - Deadly Premonition
- Dino CrisisDino Crisisis a survival horror video game by Capcom, originally released in 1999 for the PlayStation and later ported to Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast in 2000...
- Fatal FrameFatal FrameFatal Frame, known as Project Zero in the PAL region, and Zero Zero in Japan, is a survival horror video game series consisting of four installments and a spin-off. The first and second games in the series were released for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, the third has been released for the...
- F.E.A.R (American game inspired by J-Horror)
- Friday the 13thFriday the 13th (NES game)Friday the 13th is an action-adventure video game published by LJN for the Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. It is an adaptation of the Friday the 13th franchise....
(inspired by American horror) - Ghost HouseGhost House (video game)Ghost House is a single-player, side-scrolling horror-action video game published by SEGA and released in 1986 for the Master System, which was loosely based on Sega's 1982 arcade game Monster Bash....
- Monster BashGhost House (video game)Ghost House is a single-player, side-scrolling horror-action video game published by SEGA and released in 1986 for the Master System, which was loosely based on Sega's 1982 arcade game Monster Bash....
- Ju-on: The Grudge (video game)Ju-on: The Grudge (video game)Ju-on: The Grudge—Haunted House Simulator, known in Japan as titled Ju-On: The Grudge—A Fright Simulator in Europe, is a first-person graphic adventure video game developed for the Wii game device. It is an adaptation of the Japanese horror film series Ju-on directed by Takashi Shimizu, who also...
- KenseidenKenseidenis a video game for the Sega Master System created by SEGA. Kenseiden was released in 1988.-Summary:Kenseiden stars Hayato, a samurai that has to fight against warlocks and evil spirits that plague 16th century Japan. The warlocks stole the five secret scrolls and the sword of the Dragon Lord...
- Kuon
- Laplace no Ma
- Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's EdgeShadow at the Water's EdgeShadow at the Water's Edge is the 23rd installment in the point-and-click Nancy Drew adventure game series by Her Interactive. It is preceded by Trail of the Twister and followed by The Captive Curse. The game runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista. It is also the third game of the series that can...
- OverbloodOverbloodOverblood is a science fiction video game developed by Riverhillsoft and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation. It is considered one of the first survival horror games to make use of a fully three-dimensional virtual environment, second only to Riverhillsoft's own Doctor Hauzer, a fully...
- Parasite Eve
- Resident Evil (inspired by American horror)
- Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead
- Silent HillSilent Hillis a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...
(inspired by American horror) - SirenSiren (video game), known as Forbidden Siren in Europe and Australasia, is a survival horror video game developed by SCE Japan Studio for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Plot:...
- SplatterhouseSplatterhouseis a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is also subsequently the title of the entire series of games released in home console and personal computer formats....
- Sweet HomeSweet Home (video game)is a survival horror role-playing video game that was released for the Famicom in 1989. It features several elements of console role-playing games. Sweet Home was developed and published by Capcom and the game was never released outside Japan...
- Terror House
- The Screamer
Influence
The Ring (2002 film)
The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
, and later The Ring Two
The Ring Two
The Ring Two is a 2005 American psychological horror film, and a sequel to the 2002 film The Ring, which was a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring...
(although this remake bears almost no similarity to the original Japanese sequel).
Here is a list of some Japanese horror films that have been remade for the US market.
- The RingThe Ring (2002 film)The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
- 2002 - The GrudgeThe GrudgeThe Grudge is the 2004 American remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge, and the first horror film in the Ju-on series, Ju-on 1. The film is the first installment in the American horror film series The Grudge...
- 2004 - Dark WaterDark Water (2005 film)Dark Water is a 2005 American horror-thriller film directed by Walter Salles, starring Jennifer Connelly and Tim Roth. The film is a remake of the 2002 Japanese film of the same name, and also stars John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite, Perla Haney-Jardine and Ariel Gade...
- 2005 - The Ring TwoThe Ring TwoThe Ring Two is a 2005 American psychological horror film, and a sequel to the 2002 film The Ring, which was a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring...
- 2005 - The Grudge 2The Grudge 2The Grudge 2 is the 2006 sequel to the 2004 American horror film remake The Grudge. The Grudge 2 is the second film in Sony's The Grudge series and is directed by Takashi Shimizu and written by Stephen Susco. The film is produced by Sam Raimi and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Tamblyn, Arielle...
- 2006 - Pulse - 2006
- One Missed Call - 2008
- The Grudge 3The Grudge 3The Grudge 3 is the direct-to-DVD sequel to the American horror film The Grudge and its sequel, The Grudge 2. The film was directed by Toby Wilkins taking Takashi Shimizu's place. The film was released on May 12, 2009. It stars Johanna Braddy and Shawnee Smith-Plot:Jake is brutally murdered by...
- 2009 - The Ring 3D - 2012
With the exception of The Ring, every one of the J-Horror remake has received negative reviews. The Ring 3D has not been released yet, so it does not have any reviews yet.
Many of the original directors who created these Asian horror films have gone on to direct the American remakes. For example, Hideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water...
, director of Ring, directed the remake The Ring Two and Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
, director of the original Ju-on, directed the remake The Grudge and its sequel, The Grudge 2
The Grudge 2
The Grudge 2 is the 2006 sequel to the 2004 American horror film remake The Grudge. The Grudge 2 is the second film in Sony's The Grudge series and is directed by Takashi Shimizu and written by Stephen Susco. The film is produced by Sam Raimi and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Tamblyn, Arielle...
.
Several other Asian countries have been remaking these Japanese horror films as well. For example, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
created their own version of the Japanese horror classic Ring, titled The Ring Virus
The Ring Virus
The Ring Virus is a South Korean horror adapted from the Japanese novel Ring by Koji Suzuki. A joint project between Japan and Korea, this version has Park Eun-Suh as the creator of the cursed videotape...
.
Inspired by current trends in Japanese horror, the first film by Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based writer-director Jason Cuadrado, Tales From The Dead
Tales From The Dead
Tales From The Dead is a 2007 horror film, written and directed by Jason Cuadrado. The film is an anthology of four ghost stories as told by Tamika, a strange young girl with the ability to communicate with the dead...
, is a horror film in four parts which Cuadrado filmed with a cast of Japanese actors speaking their native language.
External links
- J-Horror: An Alternate Guide Japanzine by Zack Davisson
- Remaking Asian Horror - A Brief History
- List of Asian horror movies