Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories (1959-1968) (Radiance Films)

[MifuneFan]

Radiance Films have announced a new Japanese Ghost Stories Box set for October, featuring 3 classic films from Daiei Film studio. Update: Volume 2 has been announced for October 2025! scroll down for full details on that one.

Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories Volume 1 (1959-1968)

Standard Editions:



Limited Edition (Sold Out)

https://diabolikdvd.com/product/daie...gion-preorder/

https://www.radiancefilms.co.uk/prod...ost-stories-le

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K restorations of The Bride from Hades and The Snow Woman
• High-Definition digital transfer of The Ghost of Yotsuya
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
• Optional English subtitles for all films
• Newly designed box and booklet artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Six postcards featuring original archive imagery from the films
• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing by authors Tom Mes and Zack Davisson, newly translated archival reviews and ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn
• Limited Edition of 4,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA

• New interview with filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa
• A visual essay on the history and adaptations of the classic Ghost of Yotsuya story by author Kyoko Hirano
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

THE BRIDE FROM HADES

• Audio commentary by author Jasper Sharp
• New interview with filmmaker Hiroshi Takahashi
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

THE SNOW WOMAN

• New interview with filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai
• A visual essay on writer Lafcadio Hearn
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

Radiance #74-75-76 Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories New Trailer - YouTube

Daiei Gothic Vol 2 - Japanese Ghost Stories (LE) (1960-1970)

https://www.radiancefilms.co.uk/prod...othic-vol-2-le

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K restorations of each film by Radiance Films
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
• Optional English subtitles for all films
• Newly designed box and booklet artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing by Amber T, Jasper Sharp, and Tom Mes, plus archival writing by Daniel O’Neill and original ghost stories The Goblin of Oeyama and The Vampire Cat
• Limited Edition of 4,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

THE DEMON OF MOUNT OE

• New interview with period film historian Taichi Kasuga (2025)
• Blade of the Demon Slayer: a visual essay by Tom Mes (2025)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

THE HAUNTED CASTLE

• New interview with J-horror filmmaker Mari Asato (2025)
• A visual essay by ghost story scholar Zack Davisson (2025)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

THE GHOST OF KASANE SWAMP

• New interview with J-horror filmmaker Norio Tsuruta (2025)
• Select-scene audio commentary by horror film scholar Lindsay Nelson (2025)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

Daiei Gothic Vol 2 - Japanese Ghost Stories

Japan’s classic ghost stories are brought to the screen by masters of the genre, Tokuzo Tanaka (The Snow Woman) and Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare).

In The Demon of Mount Oe, a group of mighty warriors is sent to eliminate a demon who steals women from the imperial capital of Kyoto. On the way, they face a satanic bull, a giant spider and a diabolical witch, but the closer they come to their goal, the more they realise that the demon they’ve been ordered to kill is far more human than they were led to believe.

In The Haunted Castle, a blind monk is killed in a cowardly manner by a samurai lord. When the monk’s sister is ordered to become the lord’s concubine, she commits suicide and transfers her grudge to their black cat, who assumes the human form of one of the lord’s ladies-in-waiting and begins to wreak havoc around the castle court. The lord’s Machiavellian right-hand man (Rokko Toura, Kuroneko) and a young swordsman (Kojiro Hongo, The Bride from Hades) combine forces to solve the mystery and stop the supernatural menace.

In The Ghost of Kasane Swamp a samurai’s wife tries to repay her husband’s debt with her body but is caught in bed with the money lender and they are both murdered by her husband who dumps their bodies in a nearby swamp. Shingoro and Oshiga, the money lender and samurai’s children, find a curse has been passed to them as they each try to recover the money.

Newly restored in 4K, three more stories from the Daiei studio represent the Japanese ghost film at its most lavish and chilling.

[Video Ghoul]

This looks awesome!

[Ky-Fi]

And that will be a pre-order for me!

[DukeTogo84]

An amazing set. I've only see the Bride from Hades and it's really good. The Snow Woman is one I've been wanting to see for ages, so glad it was included in this set. Radiance is killing it yet again.

[starsteam]

Spectacular. Great packaging. Can't wait to check these out.

[Driver78]

This I WILL buy day one!

[DaveyJoe]

This looks awesome. I've wanted to see Ghost of Yotsuya for years. It always gets mentioned when discussing Japanese folk horror. I always thought Criterion would release it.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by DaveyJoe

I always thought Criterion would release it.

They still might. There is actually TWO Ghost of Yotsuya films from 1959.

Radiance is releasing this one:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202141...tsuya%25201959

Criterion has this one, which is the more known one.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155278...tsuya%25201959

[DaveyJoe]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

They still might. There is actually TWO Ghost of Yotsuya films from 1959.

Radiance is releasing this one:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202141...tsuya%25201959

Criterion has this one, which is the more known one.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155278...tsuya%25201959

[darkness2918]

I’ll blind buy this. Always in the mood for a good Japanese ghost story.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Driver78

This I WILL buy day one!

Glad you're checking this out. I would highly suggest checking out Sympathy for the Underdog. I'd put cash money on the table that you would love that one, as it's one of the most bad ass Japanese films ever made. If you like something say like The Wild Bunch or anything similar, you would get a kick out of this release and Radiance did a fantastic job with it.

[Driver78]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Glad you're checking this out. I would highly suggest checking out Sympathy for the Underdog. I'd put cash money on the table that you would love that one, as it's one of the most bad ass Japanese films ever made. If you like something say like The Wild Bunch or anything similar, you would get a kick out of this release and Radiance did a fantastic job with it.

Bought 'Underdog' last week! Hope to watch soon.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Driver78

Bought 'Underdog' last week! Hope to watch soon.

Nice. Let us know what you think when you watch.

[nvadr]

That cover image is from the film Snow Woman, I imported the DVD from Japan decades ago, it has some beautiful cinematography, this is a top-notch Daiei film that is captivating from start to finish. From what I understand this film is based on Japanese lore about a witch that hunts men during snow storms. I will definitely be adding this release to my collection.

[jshaide]

My only critique is that this isn’t Severin style with like 18 movies, haha

[Boris_Karloff]

Holy Moley this set looks amazing. Really been loving Radiance.

[Thomas Veil]

Definitely in for this set, especially the two late 60s films. I'm looking forward to seeing Snow Woman as I've always enjoyed the Snow Woman segment in Kwaiden.

[ShawDonkey]

I haven`t seen any japanese horrors from that era but might start with these. Short trailer, but movies look more interesting that ju-on or ringu franchise(which were ok, at least some of them).

[logboy]

Originally Posted by ShawDonkey

I haven`t seen any japanese horrors from that era but might start with these. Short trailer, but movies look more interesting that ju-on or ringu franchise(which were ok, at least some of them).

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=5867

[Mr. Thomsen]

Originally Posted by DaveyJoe

This looks awesome. I've wanted to see Ghost of Yotsuya for years. It always gets mentioned when discussing Japanese folk horror. I always thought Criterion would release it.

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

They still might. There is actually TWO Ghost of Yotsuya films from 1959.

Radiance is releasing this one:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202141...tsuya%25201959

Criterion has this one, which is the more known one.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155278...tsuya%25201959

Like Duke indicates, it is probably the Nobuo Nakagawa one you always see mentioned. That one is widely accepted as the best adaptation of the source material. Nakagawa is lovingly nicknamed 'the Japanese Mario Bava' by some for his preference for lighting his sets with saturated colors.

Criterion has been sitting on a whole bunch of classic Japanese ghost movies for ten years or more, only releasing Nakagawa's Jigoku on DVD.

I believe they have the titles that were released by Happinet on (English-friendly) DVD in Japan some 10-15 years ago. I never got around to get them myself, but I was lucky to pick up almost all of the cheaper ports released in Greece instead.

Incidentally, The Ghost of Yotsuya is probably the most adapted Japanese ghost story ever. There are at least 20 different versions, probably even more, and several made all the way back in the silent film era.

I really hope this set will open the floodgates for more classical Japanese horror on BD.