English Version
When people think of Japan’s most famous horror movies, Ring is usually one of the first titles that comes to mind. What many fans may not know is that the film is said to have been partly inspired by a real historical scandal involving psychic powers, university experiments, and a woman known for “clairvoyance.”
This is the story of the so-called Clairvoyance Incident.
The beginning: Chizuko Mifune of Kumamoto
Chizuko Mifune was born in Kumamoto in 1886. She later became known as a woman who was said to possess senrigan, or clairvoyant powers.
When Chizuko was 22, 50 yen went missing from her husband’s wallet. At the time, that was a large amount of money, roughly comparable to about 180,000 yen today.
Chizuko reportedly said that her husband’s mother was the culprit, and that if they looked at the family Buddhist altar, they would find the missing money there. When they searched, the 50 yen was said to have been found exactly where she had indicated.
The incident had devastating consequences. Her mother-in-law attempted suicide, and Chizuko’s relationship with her husband deteriorated. The couple eventually divorced, and Chizuko returned to her family home.
Did Chizuko really have clairvoyance?
After returning home, Chizuko’s brother-in-law, Takeo Kiyohara, reportedly hypnotized her and suggested that she could use clairvoyance. This is said to have awakened her ability.
According to the story, Chizuko had previously used this power instinctively, but after Kiyohara’s hypnosis, she became able to use it consciously.
It is also said that she performed “internal clairvoyance” on patients at the hospital run by Kiyohara, using her ability to look inside the body and assist with treatment.
Experiments by university professors
Stories spread that Chizuko had even discovered a coal mine through clairvoyance at the request of a company. Newspapers began covering her, and she quickly became famous as the woman with “clairvoyant sight.”
Her reputation drew the attention of university scholars, who wanted to test whether her powers were real. This may have been one of the first moments in Japan when psychic ability was examined through a scientific experiment.
The experiments involved Tomokichi Fukurai, an associate professor of psychology at Tokyo Imperial University’s College of Letters, and Shinkichi Imamura, a professor of medicine at Kyoto Imperial Medical University. Kiyohara was also present.
In one test, Chizuko was asked to turn her back and identify an object without touching it. Perhaps because of nerves, she failed.
Next, Kiyohara prepared a business card and placed it inside a pot. Chizuko then attempted to read it while touching the pot. This time, she was said to have succeeded perfectly.
After seeing the result, the two university professors announced to the psychology world that her ability was genuine. Once scientists appeared to recognize her powers, Chizuko became even more famous, and newspapers covered her widely.
The Clairvoyance Incident
Public opinion became sharply divided. Some people believed Chizuko’s powers were real, while others were convinced she was a fraud. A major debate broke out.
The event now known as the Clairvoyance Incident occurred during an experiment meant to settle that debate.
In 1910, a large-scale test was held with Kenjiro Yamakawa, a leading authority in physics at Tokyo Imperial University, in attendance. Many newspaper reporters also participated.
The experiment involved placing rolled-up pieces of paper inside several lead cans, soldering the cans shut, and then having Chizuko identify what was written on the paper inside a randomly selected can.
Chizuko performed the reading from a separate room. She selected one can and gave her answer: the three characters meaning “steal,” “round,” and “shoot.”
Amazingly, she appeared to be correct. Based on that result, her ability was treated as genuine.
But later, a serious problem emerged. It was discovered that a paper with those characters had not originally been placed inside the can.
That paper had reportedly been used by Kiyohara and Chizuko for practice the day before. Chizuko had been carrying it as a kind of protective charm.
This raised the suspicion that the practice paper had been switched with the experimental paper. Chizuko is said to have answered that she had “switched the practice paper and the experiment paper.”
After that, public opinion turned harshly against her.
The end of Chizuko Mifune
Experiments involving Chizuko continued only up to this period. After the scandal, it is said that no matter what results she produced, the public would no longer accept them.
In 1911, Chizuko attempted suicide by ingesting a dye-related chemical known as dichromate.
When her family rushed to her side and asked if she had any last words, she reportedly replied, “No, I have nothing to say.” She then passed away.
Aftermath and the connection to Ring
After Chizuko’s death, Ikuko Nagao, another woman who had become known for clairvoyance, also died of illness. Because of these events, experiments involving psychic powers became something of a taboo in Japan.
Tomokichi Fukurai, however, did not give up. He later encountered a woman named Sadako Takahashi. He wanted to conduct experiments on her as well, but by then public opinion toward psychic powers had become highly negative, and the experiments were never carried out.
After that, Sadako Takahashi’s whereabouts became unknown.
Some people have wondered whether clairvoyance might truly have existed. Others have speculated that if such powers were real, they could have been inconvenient or threatening to certain people. Those ideas remain in the realm of rumor and speculation.
This is the historical incident said to have influenced Ring. There are reportedly many points of similarity between the story and the film. If you are interested in Japanese horror, it may be worth watching Ring again with this strange real-life background in mind.
This story involves real places and historical figures, but it is not an invitation to enter private property, hospitals, or university facilities. If you visit Kumamoto or other related areas, enjoy them respectfully and follow local rules.
Japanese Language
日本で最も有名なホラー映画と言えば「リング」とほとんどの人が思い浮かべると思います。実はこの映画のモデルとなった事件が本当に実在したといわれているのです。今回はそんな、映画「リング」のモデルとなった事件について紹介していきたいと思います。事の発端。。明治 19 年に熊本で御船千鶴子（みふねちずこ）が生まれます。この方は 千里眼という超能力をつかえる といわれていました。千鶴子が 22 歳の時に当時結婚していた夫の財布から 50 円（現在約 18 万円ほど）がなくなります。
すると、千鶴子が夫の母親が犯人だと言い出し、彼女の仏壇を見ればそこに 50 円があるといわれ、実際に探してみると見事にそこに 50 円があったのです。そのことが発端で母親は自殺未遂を図ってしまい、そのこともあり夫婦仲は悪くなり、二人は離婚をしてしまいます。離婚後は、千鶴子は実家に帰省することになったのです。御船千鶴子は千里眼が使えた？。。千鶴子が実家に帰省後に義理の兄清原猛雄に「千里眼が使える」といった催眠をかけられたことがきっかけで、この能力に目覚めました。
今までの千鶴子は、この 能力を本能的に使っていたのですが、この義理の兄清原の催眠によって意識的に使えるようになった といわれているのです。義理の兄が経営していた病院で患者に対して体内透視を行い治療をしていたといわれています。大学教授のもとで実験が行われた。。企業の依頼で炭鉱を透視で見つけたという話もあり、新聞社などに多く取り上げられ千鶴子はかなり世間で有名になり始めます。「千里眼」を持つ女としてたちまち有名になった千鶴子ですが、その能力を大学教授が興味を持ち、本物なのかと調査をすべく、千鶴子を使って実験することが決まったのです。
恐らく、これは日本で初めて超能力に対して科学的な実験をした瞬間 でした。大学教授は東京帝国大学文科大学の福来友吉准教授（心理学）と京都帝国医科大学の今村新吉教授（医学）といった人たちと実験が始まったのです。実験は、清原立会いのもとに行われました。実験内容は、背を向けて対象物に触れないで透視するというものでした。しかし、緊張のせいか失敗してしまいます。次に、清原が用意した名刺をツボの中に入れ、ツボの中に入れた名刺を手で触れながら透視を行ったのです。
その結果はなんと見事に成功したのです。この結果を見て二人の大学教授は「この能力は本物だ」と心理学界には発表します。科学者が「本物」と認めたことにより、千鶴子はさらに有名になり、新聞などで大きく取り上げられるようになりました。そして千里眼事件へ。。千鶴子の能力に関して、「本物派」「偽物派」と大きく分かれていて、その中で大論争が繰り広げられていました。この大論争に終止符を打つために行われた実験での出来事が「千里眼事件」なのです。1910 年（明治 43 年）東京帝国大学の物理学の権威山川健次郎が立会い、多くの新聞記者などが参加する大規模実験が開催されました。
実験内容は複数の鉛のカンの中に丸めた紙を入れ、ハンダ付けし、ランダムに選んだカンの中の紙に書かれていることを読み当てるという実験でした。この透視を千鶴子は別室で行うことになりました。そして、千鶴子は一つのカンを選びその中の文字を回答しました。「盗丸射」。なんと、 見事に言い当ててしまった のです。このような結果により、千鶴子の能力は「本物」という結論に至ったのでした。しかし、その後「最初からあんな文字の紙は入っていなかった」ということが判明したのです。
あの紙は、前日に清原と千鶴子が練習用に使ってもので、千鶴子はお守りとして持っていました。そのお守りとして持っていたものをすり替えたのではないかという疑問が生まれたのです。すると、千鶴子は 「練習用と実験用をすり替えた」 と答えたそうです。このことがあり、世間は千鶴子に大バッシングを与えます。そして終わり。。彼女に対する実験はこの時まで行われました。前回のようなこともあり、いくら成功しても世間からは認められることはなかったそうです。明治 44 年に 染料の「重クロム酸」服毒し自殺を試みます。
。急いで駆け付けた遺族が「何か言い残すことは？」と聞くと、千鶴子は 「いえ、何も言い残すことはございません」 。と言い残し息をふき取ったそうです。まとめ。千鶴子が亡くなった後に千鶴子と同じで、透視で名を挙げていた長尾郁子も病死しています。このようなこともあり、日本では超能力に関する実験がタブー化されました。諦めきれない福来友吉准教授は「高橋貞子」に出合います。高橋貞子に対して実験を行おうとしますが、世間が超能力に関して否定的な意見が多かったため、実験は行われなかったのです。
その後、高橋貞子の行方は消息不明となっています。もしかしたら、本当に透視という能力が存在していたのかもしれませんね。透視ができることで、不都合になる人間もいたとされているため、もしかしたら何かの力によって消されたということも考えられますね。以上が映画「リング」のモデルとなった事件でした。映画ともかなり共通点があるそうです。興味のある方は是非「リング」を見直してみてはいかがでしょうか？
