A refined depiction of the relationship between nature and humanity

Lafcadio Hearn's "Kwaidan," written over 100 years ago, elevates legends from across Japan into eerie literary works. Kiki Sugino has adapted one of these tales, "Snow Woman," into a film with her unique interpretation.

In a certain era, deep in a certain mountain, on a snowy night. The hunter Minokichi witnesses the Snow Woman take the life of his companion Mosaku. The Snow Woman vanishes, leaving behind the warning, "If you speak of this, I will take your life."

The following year, on the way back from Mosaku's memorial service, Minokichi meets a beautiful woman named Yuki. The two eventually marry and have a daughter, Ume. Fourteen years later, Ume, now a beautiful and intelligent young girl, becomes a good companion for the sickly Mikio, a distant relative of Mosaku.

However, one day, Mikio dies in the mountain hut where Mosaku had died. Mikio's body bears frostbite marks similar to Mosaku's. Mikio's grandfather vehemently questions Minokichi, blaming Ume, who carries Yuki's blood. Minokichi's mind flashes back to the events of 14 years ago, and he grapples with his suspicion and conflict towards Yuki. What was it he saw in the mountain hut that night, and who is Yuki...?


This film marks Sugino's third directorial work, following "My Little Goat" and "Motek" – a project she had long yearned to bring to the screen. She takes on both directing and starring roles. Takao Aoki, whose career is rapidly advancing, plays the protagonist Minokichi, while emerging young talent Mayu Yamaguchi portrays their daughter Ume. A cast of accomplished actors and rising stars, including Shiro Sano, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, and Kodai Matsuoka, fill out the supporting roles, with the veteran Kumi Mizuno providing a grounding presence.

With the full cooperation of Sugino's home prefecture, Hiroshima, the entire film was shot within the prefecture, primarily in Onomichi City, known as a town of cinema, and dialogue is in the Hiroshima dialect.

Selected for the competition section of the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, the film garnered high praise for its visual beauty of snow and light, classical aesthetics, and its attempt to bring tradition into the modern era.

Regarding the filming, Sugino commented, "The uncanny nature of Lafcadio Hearn's 'Snow Woman' has captivated me for the past few years. Why does the Snow Woman appear beyond the snowy landscape and seek to connect with humans? What does she symbolize? In this short story of just a few pages, there is no psychological description, allowing for various interpretations. Strangely, I also felt a warm gaze towards the Snow Woman, an object of awe. Her form seemed to suggest that a manifestation of nature was trying to draw near to the human soul. The unwavering within the intangible. The mystery of coexisting with the unseen. Through this indefinable entity, I wanted to pose questions to contemporary society about these very things."

Snow Woman
Director | Kiki Sugino
Music | sow jow
Starring | Kiki Sugino, Takao Aoki, Mayu Yamaguchi, Shiro Sano, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Kodai Matsuoka, Nagisa Umeno, and others
Distribution | Wa Entertainment
Release Date | From Saturday, March 4, 2017, at Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho and Cinema Jack & Betty; from Saturday, April 1, 2017, at Cine Libre Umeda, Osaka Cine Nouveau, Kyoto Minami Kaikan, Motomachi Movie Theater Kobe, and others, with a staggered release nationwide.

2016 / Japan / Japanese (with English subtitles) / 96 min / Color & Monochrome / CinemaScope / Stereo
© Snow Woman Film Partners