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Shizuko Yamamura was the mother of Sadako. Shizuko gave birth to Sadako under mysterious circumstances. She possessed the power of foresight, which was eventually put on display by Doctor Ikuma and Shizuko's cousin Takashi for the press. However, one journalist mocked Shizuko and labelled her a fraud. He was murdered by a young Sadako. Shizuko eventually went insane, spending hours on end standing in front of a mirror combing her hair. She predicted the eruption of a nearby volcano on Oshima Island, and her prediction came true the day she committed suicide by leaping into the volcano.

Biography[]

Background[]

Shizuko was born and raised on Oshima Island near Izu, Japan. She had a close relationship with her cousin Takashi. Shizuko was born with psychic powers that were controlled and allowed her the power of foresight. Her background differs in the books and films. In the novels, Shizuko left Oshima Island and went to Tokyo where she met and fell in love with Doctor Heihachiro Ikuma. They slept together and gave birth to Sadako. In the films, at some point, Shizuko went to the beach near her house on the island and ended up pregnant with Sadako, the father hinted to be something inhuman. Shizuko gave birth to Sadako in a cave, but left the baby girl on the beach hoping she could be taken by the waves only to find Sadako was still there, so she decided to care for her after all. Shizuko also gave birth to a son in 1954, but he died four months later from illness.

Sadako displayed psychic powers like Shizuko's, called Nensha, but appeared more destructive. Shizuko went to a Tokyo university where she met and fell in love with Heihachiro Ikuma, and he became involved with her own and her daughter's powers. At Takashi's suggestion, Dr. Ikuma had Shizuko display her powers to an audience of journalists in Tokyo. In the novels, Shizuko bowed out of the demonstration due to suffering from a migraine, and was labelled a fraud. She became depressed and eventually committed suicide by leaping into a volcano.

Ring 0[]

After Shizuko's death, Ikuma locked the evil destructive Sadako twin in a room in his house with only a television set for company, drugging her, so she kept her small child-like appearance. The good Sadako grew up and was allowed to live her own life, eventually joining an acting troupe. Sadako kept a framed photo of her mother with her, upset by her loss. Shizuko's spirit, or a vision of her, appears during the troupe's latest performance which Sadako and everyone present can see. Sadako has a psychic attack caused by her evil twin, and sees visions of the demonstration. One event leads to another and Sadako is tossed down a well by Ikuma.

Ring[]

Thirty years on, Shizuko's history is discovered by Reiko Asakawa and Ryuji Takayama after they watch Sadako's cursed videotape, Shizuko's image appearing on the tape. Reiko and Ryuji eventually went to Oshima Island and met Takashi, who explained that Shizuko spent hours staring at the water, before she gave birth to Sadako. Ryuji and Reiko share a vision and witness the events of the demonstration.

Ring 2[]

Mai Takano experiences a vision of Shizuko and Sadako when she checks on Yoichi Asakawa, Shizuko disappearing from her place at the mirror and then appearing behind the door to the room to stare menacingly at Mai.

Trivia[]

  • In Ring: The Final Chapter, instead of being dead, Shizuko is still alive and now an old woman. Her cousin spread the news that Shizuko is dead but it's not true.
  • Shizuko is based on a real person, Mifune Chizuko, who was born in 1886 in Kumamoto Prefecture and who was rumored to have the gift of foresight. After a demonstration in 1910, she was proclaimed a charlatan and committed suicide a year later by ingesting poison.
  • It is unknown what did Shizuko say during her appearance in Ring 0, possibly calling Sadako's name or it's your turn.
  • In the novel, the dice was used during Shizuko's demonstration. In the film, the dice wasn't present in the film instead they use brush and ink to draw the kanji.
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