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Chizuko Mifune (御船千鶴子, Mifune Chizuko, 17 June 1886 - 19 January 1911) was a renowned female clairvoyant during the late Meiji period in Japan.

Early years

Born in the Kumamoto Prefecture, Mifune was married from 1908-1910. It has been stated that she was deeply religious and, at times, was hypnotized by her brother-in-law. At the age of 23, accounts tell of Mifune awakening her powers in foresight when, in her meditative posture, she saw a number of worms within a nearby tree in the garden, covered by bark and invisible to the naked eye. News spread quickly from the Kumamoto Prefecture to other parts of Japan.

Abilities

Stories of Mifune's abilities soon reached the ears of Dr. Tomokichi Fukurai, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Tokyo. Fukurai, who was deeply interested in the supernatural, set out to validate the phenomenon of extra-sensory perception (E.S.P.) to fellow researchers and skeptics alike (one of the latter being Dr. Kenjiro Yamakawa).

Fukurai conducted one of Mifune's most famous public demonstrations on 15 September 1910. She appeared to read messages written inside hidden envelopes, to the astonishment of the crowd. However, she was widely seen as a charlatan, and her reputation was forever marred.

Death

At the age of 24, Mifune committed suicide by ingesting poison; there are conflicting theories as to her exact reasons.

Influences

Chizuko Mifune has recently grabbed the attention of Japanese horror filmmakers and has in some way been acknowledged in such films as Yogen and Ringu.

External links

• Factual Basis Behind The Ring, Ringworld.com, accessed February 23, 2006
• Fukurai Institute of Psychology
• Excerpt from Clairvoyance and Thoughtography by Dr. Fukurai, regarding Chizuko