Kakashi

The opening text explains the Kakashi tradition of burning hair to ward off evil spirits. Kaoru Yoshikawa is shown screaming in front of a blazing fire, asking why it had to be done to her. The scene establishes the supernatural premise and foreshadows the consequences of the ritual.

Unable to contact her brother for a week, Kaoru goes to Tsuyoshi's apartment and finds an envelope left near his phone. Inside are bits of straw and a letter from Izumi Miyamori, a former friend. The discovery sends Kaoru on a journey toward Kozukata Village.

The letter's address points to Kozukata Village, nestled in the hills. While following the lead, Kaoru notices a missing person poster for Sally Chen. She is drawn toward a tunnel that leads into the village.

Entering the tunnel, Kaoru's car breaks down and she must walk the rest of the way. On her path she keeps hearing a strange laugh echoing through the darkness. The eerie journey deepens the sense of impending danger.

Kaoru arrives in Kozukata and finds the villagers cold and wary of outsiders. They mention the upcoming Kakashi Matsuri (Scarecrow Festival). At the red-draped windmill, she meets Sally with Ayumi Noji, while Ayumi's father Shusaku warns her not to talk to strangers.

Kaoru heads to the Miyamori residence and meets Izumi's parents. Izumi is said to be in the hospital, while Kozo greets Kaoru warmly and Yukie remains cold toward her. He offers to let Kaoru stay for a few days.

On her first night, Kaoru dreams of Izumi who seems to resent her appearance and appears alongside an Izumi-shaped scarecrow. The dream unsettles Kaoru and hints at possessive ties between Izumi and Tsuyoshi. It foreshadows looming conflict tied to the festival.

The following night Kaoru dreams of Tsuyoshi making an Izumi-shaped scarecrow. The surreal visions intensify her fear of Izumi's grip on the village and her relationship with Tsuyoshi. The dreams blur the line between memory, guilt, and ritual.

The next day at the local police station, Kaoru learns that Sally's father is a living scarecrow among the villagers. She is then attacked by more living scarecrows, and Sally urges her to leave the village and let her handle the danger.

Back at the Miyamori residence, Kaoru discovers Izumi's diary and learns that Izumi had fallen in love with Tsuyoshi. Kaoru's overprotectiveness had kept Izumi apart, fueling a lifelong grievance. Izumi's ghost declares that Kaoru is the one who will be alive that night.

Kozo reveals that Izumi died years ago and that the festival is a misguided attempt to reunite with the dead. He also explains that the scarecrows become mindless monsters once created, fed by Izumi's malevolent spirit. The village's ritualistic cruelty becomes clear.

Kozo takes Kaoru to the clinic where Tsuyoshi has been in a trance. She wakes him by slapping him, then convinces and accompanies Sally as they escape the scarecrows and hurry toward the tunnel before the festival starts. The trio's flight marks a fragile coalition against the ritual's horrors.

Ayumi, revealed to be a scarecrow, kills her father and then turns the village further toward chaos. The festival's chaos intensifies as the wooden inhabitants come to life. The sense of danger expands beyond any one person.

Izumi's scarecrow comes to life at the windmill and kills her mother as the trio staggers toward the windmill. Tsuyoshi ignites a lighter, setting both himself and Izumi ablaze while Izumi laughs at Kaoru. Kaoru and Sally flee toward the tunnel as more scarecrows surge forward, and Tsuyoshi's spirit appears, calling Kaoru to follow him.