(1968)
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring Kôjirô Hongô, Miyoko Akaza, Kô Nishimura, Mayumi Ogawa, Takashi Shimura, Michiko Ôtsuka

One of the earliest Japanese ghost story films was Botan-dôrô (1910), which was based on one of the oldest and most commonly used themes over the years in rakugo, then kabuki, before moving into the film world. The story actually came from a book of Chinese ghost stories called Jiandeng Xinhua by Qu You, first published in 1378. It was later adapted by Japanese author Asai Ryoi in his book Otogi Boko, giving it a Japanese setting and calling it Botan-dôrô. While there are many variations on the story, it basically deals with doomed lovers. In 1968, it was adapted for the screen by Yoshikata Yoda and directed by Satuso Yamamoto, called Peony Lantern, or The Bride from Hades.