Til Death Do Us Part?

They say love is eternal. What about heartbreak? This Valentine’s Day, we bring you some of Japanese theater’s most popular tales of scorned lovers seeking vengeance from beyond the grave—with a burning passion.

Transcript

Guests: 

• Frank Feltens, Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
• Kit Brooks, Japan Foundation Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

Smithsonian Links:

• See vibrant art depicting the stories shared in this episode in person (if you dare...) in the new exhibition Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art from March 23 to October 6, 2024
• You can also read more about the exhibition in the accompanying book by Kit Brooks and Frank Feltens.
• Explore the museum’s extensive digital collection of Edo period prints portraying ghosts, demons, and other supernatural figures.
• Ready to leave spooky stories of scorned lovers behind? Take an audio tour through another centuries-old tale depicted in Japanese art with our Sidedoor season eight episode, Sumo Wrestlers vs. Firefighters.