Oiwa becomes distraught after her father's murder and learns of her husband's treachery.

• Oiwa is heartbroken by her father's murder, the only hope for ending her marriage to Iemon.
• After the murder, which was secretly committed by Iemon, Oiwa is deceived by a neighborly offer of help.
• The neighbor, a wealthy doctor, plots with Iemon to poison Oiwa so that Iemon can marry his granddaughter for wealth.

Iemon's scheme leads to Oiwa's disfigurement, death, and her vengeful curse.

• Iemon sends a man to kill Oiwa, who is already disfigured by poison, but the man reveals the truth to Oiwa.
• Oiwa attempts to confront Iemon but accidentally kills herself and curses Iemon with her dying breath.
• Iemon murders the servant who witnessed her death and remarries the same night, disposing of the bodies in a river.

Iemon is tormented by the ghost of Oiwa and faces the consequences of his actions.

• Iemon's new bride is killed by him in a hallucination of Oiwa's ghost, and he mistakenly murders his new grandfather-in-law.
• Haunted by visions of Oiwa and his dead servant, Iemon is driven to madness and flees to a mountain hermitage.

Oiwa's spirit exacts retribution and becomes a celebrated ghost in Japanese culture.

• Oiwa's ghost continues to torment Iemon, leading to the deaths of his family and friends.
• The ghost story of Oiwa becomes a famous kabuki play with innovative special effects and remains a prominent figure in Japanese horror.

Storytellers continue to honor Oiwa's tale with reverence and caution.

• Modern retellings of Oiwa's story involve rituals of respect at her rumored grave in Tokyo.
• Oiwa's tale is treated with a combination of respect and fear, acknowledging her enduring legacy.