This topic is significant because Japanese horror ghost stories can be traced back to Edo and Meiji periods, there may be ties with Kabuki art. In many of these horror films there are pale, long black haired, females that take form in ghost/spiritual forms.
Also, Japanese horror movies have found universal appeal. Hollywood has created remakes of several Japanese horror films--The Ring, The Grudge, One Missed Call, etc.
I'd like to learn more on this globalizing trend in different countries.
Some sources I may use:
http://gnovisjournal.org/2009/05/13/it-came-east-japanese-horror-cinema-age-globalization/
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Post-Script/200723436.html
http://www.slideshare.net/hyly_hll/how-japanese-horror-films-have-influenced-hollywood
http://www.life123.com/arts-culture/cinema/horror-movies/japanese-horror-movies.shtml
Jennifer-san, this is a great topic, and it lends itself very nicely to visual studies. You've identified certain tropes of Japanese supernatural films. Did you see Ugetsu last semester? This is a classic film that has influenced modern creators of such films. Of course, the Ring is actually about visuality, and the power of images (including the distorted photgraphs). One nice way to get a visual studies project out of this is to attempt an in-depth visual analysis of Ringu, and then expanding it with references to other films. Just a thought; whatever you end up doing should be great.
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