Kayako and The Grudge: How Historical Traditions Shaped The Female Japanese Ghost is an attempt at examining the Japanese historical past, and to unearth the tropes, traditions and legends that laid the foundation for one of the most beloved horror icons of the past thirty years. From the rise of the J-horror genre, where Japanese horror films were first introduced to Western cinema during the late 1990s to the early 2000s, few characters have become as well known or as beloved as Ju-On:s Kayako Saeki. She may not have been the first to cross the sea, that title goes to Ringu:s Sadako Yamamura. Kayako is a tragic figure, living an unfulfilling life and meeting a brutal end – something that is surprisingly common in Japanese ghost stories as a whole. These stories often focus on distressed women, who are bereft of either the things they love, their lives, or both – and after their deaths, these women find themselves using their newfound powers to wreak havoc upon the living through a sudden lust for vengeance. Yet, as the epitome poster girl for a woman scorned, Kayako has given the long lived trope a face – she is the definitive iteration of the Japanese vengeful ghost, but she was not born in a vacuum. Kayako is the final step on a long journey throughout history, one that has been shaped and defined largely by the male perception of the female person. So how do we, as women, reclaim, embrace and see ourselves in such a complex figure? And what exactly, historically, is it that has given birth to this compelling and sympathetic villain who seeks only to satiate her grudge?

A la fin du XIXe siècle et au début du XXe siècle, les artistes japonais s’installant à Paris sont peu nombreux. Cependant, après la Première Guerre mondiale, à partir de 1920, un grand nombre d’artistes japonais arrivent en France. Au total deux cent huit artistes japonais ont figuré dans les Salons parisiens durant la décennie entre 1920 et 1929. La plupart de ces artistes choisissent comme lieu de résidence le quartier de Montparnasse. A cette époque à Paris, dans le milieu des artistes travaillant la peinture à l’huile, dite « yô-ga », nous pouvons distinguer trois courants : Le premier circule autour de Foujita Tsugouharu, artiste de renom associant la peinture occidentale et l’art traditionnel du Japon. Le second regroupe un certain nombre de jeunes artistes, dont Saeki Uzo, attirés par la peinture occidentale et la peinture moderne de Montparnasse. Le troisième courant est de nature académique : dans la lignée de Kuroda Seiki, les artistes suivent l’enseignement des Académies parisiennes. D’autres artistes choisissent la voie d’un art plus indépendant, à l’instar de Tanaka Yasushi, Hasegawa Kiyoshi ou bien Oka Shikanosuke, mais leur nombre reste limité, comme par ailleurs ceux exerçant la technique de la peinture japonaise, dite « nihon-ga », et également ceux pratiquant la sculpture, la gravure, la laque et la tenture. Le résultat suite au dépouillement mené dans les centres de documentation et les fonds photographiques au Japon et en France prouve l’importance de la présence des artistes japonais sur la scène artistique à Paris durant les années 1920 et permet de comprendre les motivations et créations de ces artistes. / During the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, not many Japanese artists settled in Paris. However, after the First World War, starting from 1920, a large number of Japanese artists arrived in France. In total two hundred and eight Japanese artists appeared in Parisian Salons during the decade between 1920 and 1929. Most of these artists choose Montparnasse district as their residence. In Paris those days, amongst artists who worked on oil painting called « yô-ga » we can distinguish three movements. The first circulated around Fujita Tsuguharu, a renowned artist who associated the Western painting and the traditional Japanese art. The second gathered a certain number of young artists, such as Saeki Yuzo, who were attracted by the Western painting and the modern painting of Montparnasse. The third movement was of an academic nature: as Kuroda Seiki did, artists were following the teaching of Paris Academies. Other artists choose the route of a more independent art, following the examples of Tanaka Yasushi, Hasegawa Kiyoshi or Oka Shikanosuke, but the number of these artists remains limited, same as those who practiced the technique of Japanese painting, i.e. « Nihon-ga », and also those who practiced sculpture, engraving, lacquer painting, and hangings. The result of going through the data of the documentation centres and photography funds in Japan and in France proves the importance of the presence of Japanese artists on the artistic scenes in Paris during the 1920’s and allows us to comprehend the motives and creations of these artists.