‘The Grudge‘ (2004) may have been a carbon copy of the Japanese movie ‘Ju-on‘ (2002) but this American sequel was not a re-make and follows a different storyline to that of ‘Ju-on 2‘ (2003). To date there have been 11 movies in this franchise (8 Japanese and 3 American) and amazingly all of them have been directed by Takashi Shimizu.
Just reading the blurb on the back of ‘The Grudge 2‘ DVD gives you an idea of how lazy the storyline is. Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is back albeit in just a cameo role (just over five minutes in total) to help connect the two films in some vague way. Having failed to burn the house down at the end of the first movie, her mother sends her other daughter Aubrey to Tokyo to bring Karen, who she hasn’t been talking to, back home.
The two sisters briefly speak but Karen panics and is restrained. She later escapes and flees through the hospital but inevitably the curse of the grudge catches up with her and throws her off the hospital roof where she lands in front of Aubrey and English-speaking journalist Eason (23 minutes) who by chance was the guy that rescued Karen from the house fire. That was filmed at Tamai Hospital Studio (below) at 1-4-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku.
Nowadays it is an abandoned hospital which has been used to host themed events such as a ‘Resident Evil’ (‘Biohazard’) immersion event where participants had to escape the place, which was revamped to look like the settings from one of it’s video games.
Shibuya Crossing (below) appears on 33 minutes as it often does in many films made in Japan. There is a brief shot of the entrance to Center Gai street too.
Just a short distance up the road from the crossing is the 109 building which international student Miyuki waits next to (below) for her boyfriend before they head to a love hotel where she meets her maker.
Click here to read ‘The Grudge (2004) Filming Locations’
Click here to read ‘Review: Films Set In Japan – The Grudge (2004)’
Click here to read ‘Review: Films Set In Japan – The Grudge 2 (2006)’
Click here to read ‘Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2006) Filming Locations’
For other Japan filming locations click on the links below:
You Only Live Twice Lost In Translation Kill Bill Babel Godzilla Walk Don’t Run Into The Sun Monster Wasabi The Ramen Girl The Toxic Avenger Pt II The Wolverine Memoirs Of A Geisha The Last Samurai House Of Bamboo
Tokyo Fox (東京狐) 
Your work Is as usual completely incredible ! Well done ! By the way I’m in Tokyo now and I was wondering where The Ring or Dark water have been shot. Do you have any idea ?
Hey there Patrick! Sorry but got no idea where those were shot but I hope you find out soon. Let me know if/when you find out though as I’m always interested to see such location match-ups
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There’s a lot more locations for The Grudge 2 that I have been looking for such as the village where Amber Tamblyn (Aubrey) goes to meet Kayako’s mother. The train station stop says ‘Kunomori’ but I couldn’t find any location with that name in Japan. Also where is the train station where Eason and Aubrey wait for the suburban train after meeting Eason’s friend?
Hi Tarik. Thanks for your comment and query. I have not seen this film since writing that post so cannot remember too much of the movie. It was a fairly limited post regarding locations I think! Just a few shibuya shots! Pretty lame really! If you do ever find out any more locations then please let me know!
The “International High School” is Toyo Gakuen University, Nagareyama Campus.
Yes that’s right. That was in the first Grudge movie though or did I not mention the name in that post? I can’t remember!
I believe that was a different University. Also, the building they shot for the exterior of the Chicago Apartment is called “The Bays”, it’s a function room at Nihonodori, 34.
Great information and knowledge Gabriel. Thanks very much. Not seen either of those Grudge movies for many many years now so can’t recall such scenes I’m afraid.
No problem. Glad to give you a hand. I’ve been a fan of these movies and I always wanted to know where they filmed most of the scenes. There are a few places I have yet to find. But considering there is so little interest in these movies, it’s pretty much looking for a needle in a haystack.