Dojoji Temple
道成寺
Anchin, a young monk on a pilgrimage with his master, asks the widow Kiyohime to stay the night. The widow falls in love with him but he rejects her, lying that he will return.
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
