Animals in Japanese horror movie

Hello! Today, I will talk about animals appeared in horror movies.

Many of animals appeared foreign horror movies have grown gigantically and attacked people. For example, I can introduce a favorite animal panic movie “Jaws” . This movie's story is that man-eating shark killed many people. In addition to this, there are various animal panic movies in the world: a giant anaconda, a gigantic spider, a gorilla, zombify dogs, a crocodile, an octopus, or a cuttlefish is appeared in the movie.

Then, what animals is appeared do you think in Japanese horror movie? In many of Japanese animal horror movie, cats, serpents, raccoons, or foxes are appeared. Many of them have already become goblin. But they don’t only attack people. At times, they would enjoy dancing with people and take revenge on a woman.

In especially, a goblin cat (bakeneko) often is appeared in Japanese ghost movies. Cat is one of the most loved animals as dog in Japan. So, it is said that a long-lived cat may become a bakeneko in Japanese folklore.

Why is cat treated like a goblin? Because of the mysterious natures that cat has. For example, cat’s eye gleams in the dark and a form of irises changes by time. Even more, cat licks blood at times, walks without the sound of footsteps have a gentle side and a wild side, have sharp nails, and moves nimbly. Those natures may bear an image of bakemeko. It has been confirmed that a description of cat’s strange story appeared from Kamakura period. In Edo period, stories of bakenoko started to appeared each essay and collection of ghost stories. So, there are many legends of bakeneko all over Japan.  In especially, “Nabeshima Bakeneko Soudou” (the trouble by bakeneko in Saga region) is known as the most famous bakeneko’s legend. The legend was turned into a play and was painted as Ukiyoe by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. In the early of the Syowa period, ghost movies “Saga Kaibyo-Den” (佐賀怪猫伝) and “Kaidan Saga Yashiki” (怪談佐賀屋敷) ” on the basis of this legend became very popular. Then, actresses such as Takako Irie or Sumiko Suzuki often played the part of “bakeneko”. So, they were known as “Bakeneko actresses”.

 ”Bourei Kaibyou Yashiki" (亡霊怪猫屋敷）　(１９５８）(2:48)

As additional explanation, I’d like to introduce the story of “Nabeshima Bakeneko Soudou”. This trouble happened the age of Mitsushige Nabesima（鍋島光茂） who is the second lord of Saga Domain, Hizen Province. Matashichiro Ryuzoji (龍造寺又七郎) who is subject of him play a game of go with him as a work. Then, he was killed to give offence to Mitushige and Matashichiro’s mother also killed herself after telling her cat deep grief. Cat licked his mother’s blood became bakeneko, and it caused Mitsushige within the walls of his castle every night. However, Hanzaemon Komori (小森半佐衛門) who is Mitsushige’s subject got rid of it, and he helped Nabeshima clan.

 

In animal’s ghost stories, vindictiveness of snake, ability changing into a woman which fox has or brutality of raccoon dog could be showed apart from mysteriousness of cat; a raccoon dog appeared in a folktale “Kachikachi Yama” eat an ole woman. Even more, it is said that foxes or raccoon dogs can trick people with magic.

That animal’s mysteriousness is well matched with woman’s nature. So, I think that actress often prays the role of like this in Japanese horror movie.

Next week, I’d like to talk about fear in our daily lives finally. See you!