Irezumi

Directed by Yasuzō Masumura

Produced by Daiei Film

A dark, sensual exploration of obsession and transformation where a tattoo becomes a mark of possession that corrupts innocence and agency.

Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, elopes with her lover Shinsuke, an employee of her father's. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality seems to transform under its influence.