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Fantasy horror film

The Snow Woman (1968): Cast & Plot

The Snow Woman (1968) movie poster

The Snow Woman is a 1968 fantasy horror film directed by Tokuzō Tanaka, starring Akira Ishihama as Yosaku, Mizuho Suzuki and Masao Shimizu. It runs 1 hour 19 minutes.

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The Snow Woman (1968) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 19m (79 min)
Director
Tokuzō Tanaka
Genres
Horror , Fantasy , Romance
Original language
Japanese
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Snow Woman About?

The premise of The Snow Woman without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

The master sculptor and his apprentice find a special tree intended for a temple statue, but a sudden snowstorm traps them. They take refuge in an abandoned hut, where the Snow Witch appears. She freezes the master to death, yet spares the apprentice on the promise that he never speak of her, or she will return to claim his life. He keeps silent.

The Snow Woman Themes & Keywords

· 19 tags
  • snow
  • sculpture
  • buddha statue
  • marriage
  • based on short story
  • young
  • evil
  • snowstorm
  • samurai
  • sculptor
  • witch
  • witch horror
+7 more
  • master apprentice relationship
  • yuki onna character
  • folk horror
  • apprentice
  • frozen to death
  • female ghost
  • japanese horror
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Cast & crew

The Snow Woman Cast & Characters

Akira Ishihama leads the cast as Yosaku, with Mizuho Suzuki as Gyôkei and Masao Shimizu as Jiun. Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka; 20 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Tokuzō Tanaka

More films directed by Tokuzō Tanaka: Lone Wolf & Child: Assassin on the Road to Hell, Haunted Castle, Sleepy Eyes of Death 10: Hell Is a Woman and The Betrayal.

Full filmography
Plot

The Snow Woman Plot Summary

What happens in The Snow Woman from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In feudal Japan, two sculptors trek through a snow-covered forest as the elder master plans to cut down a mighty tree and carve a statue of the Buddhist goddess Kannon. A raging blizzard forces them to take shelter in an abandoned cottage. While they sleep, a mysterious woman enters and freezes the master to death. She spares the younger apprentice, Yosaku, Akira Ishihama, making him promise to keep what he saw a secret.

Years later, [Yosaku] is living with the old master’s widow. The large tree is cut down and brought to the village, and he is instructed to carve the statue the master would have wanted, to be placed in the temple.

Full summary

The whole story of The Snow Woman, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Snow Woman?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the young woman who can transform into the Snow Woman?

Details

The Snow Woman Also Known As

10 alternative titles, including “The Ghost Story of the Snow Witch” and “Ghost Story of the Snow Fairy”.

Also known as
  • The Ghost Story of the Snow Witch
  • Ghost Story of the Snow Fairy
  • Snow Ghost
  • La leyenda de Yukionna
  • Снежната жена
  • Kaidan yukijorō
  • Hóúrnő
  • Легенда о снежной женщине
  • 怪谈雪女郎
  • Kaidan yukijorô

Seen The Snow Woman?

FAQ

The Snow Woman FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Snow Woman, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Snow Woman?

The Snow Woman runs 1 hour 19 minutes (79 minutes).

When was The Snow Woman released?

The Snow Woman was released on April 20, 1968.

Who directed The Snow Woman?

The Snow Woman was directed by Tokuzō Tanaka.

More films by Tokuzō Tanaka

Who is in the cast of The Snow Woman?

The Snow Woman stars Akira Ishihama as Yosaku, Mizuho Suzuki as Gyôkei and Masao Shimizu as Jiun, among 20 credited actors.

Does The Snow Woman have a post-credit scene?

No. The Snow Woman has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Snow Woman in?

The original language of The Snow Woman is Japanese.

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