Manifestation of a Vengeful Spirit as a Representation of Gender Inequality in Japan: An Analysis of the Film Teke-Teke (2009)

Abstract

This study aims to analyses how the character of Reiko Kashima in Koji Shiraishi’s film Teke-Teke (2009) represents gender inequality in Japanese society. A qualitative descriptive method employing a cultural studies approach was used to examine the film as a cultural text. The findings indicate that the figure of the vengeful spirit (onryō) is constructed as an embodiment of women’s anger over traumatic experiences involving indifference and violence. The transformation of the victim into a terrifying entity symbolizes the inability of the social system to provide a sense of security and justice for women. The research of findings indicate that the acts of violence committed by the supernatural entity in the film are both a manifestation of trauma and a form of symbolic resistance against injustice, indirectly criticizing the suppression of women’s rights within the structure of Japanese society. This study concludes that horror representations serve as a medium for social critique of the patriarchal structures that place women in a subordinate position. Practically, this study contributes to the enriching popular culture studies and deepening the analytical understanding of gender representations in contemporary Japanese horror films.