Dojoji Temple
道成寺
A man who is on a pilgrimage spends the night with a woman. After they share a moment of passion, he runs away and she chases him.
Why it matters
A haunting blend of Japanese folklore and erotic tension, Dojoji Temple (1976) channels kabuki’s theatricality into a simmering folk horror tale that lingers like a restless spirit.
- Atmospheric and minimalist, it evokes a timeless dread rooted in cultural myth rather than gore.
- A rare cinematic window into traditional Japanese storytelling styles meeting 1970s horror sensibilities.
- For fans of folkloric horror and slow-burn psychological hauntings where mood outweighs spectacle.
- Its subtle interplay of desire and fear reflects broader anxieties around purity, guilt, and the supernatural’s hold on human frailty.
Director
3 horror films in catalog
Horror DNA
Gore
0
Slow Burn
33
Psychological
14
Supernatural
40
Creature
36
Disturbing
0
Fun Factor
17
Cerebral
57
Survival
50
