Rashomons

Rashomons is a term occasionally used in media studies and narrative theory to describe collections, groups, or works that center on multiple conflicting accounts of the same event, or on Rashomon-style techniques that present divergent perspectives. The coinage derives from Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Rashomon, which popularized a narrative approach in which witnesses offer mutually contradictory testimonies about a single incident. The broader phenomenon associated with the film is often called the Rashomon effect, referring to epistemic uncertainty and subjective memory.

In usage, Rashomons may refer to several related concepts. They can denote a set of films, stories, or media pieces that portray competing viewpoints of the same event. They can also describe scholars, critics, or curators who analyze or assemble such works, or theoretical discussions about truth, memory, and perspectival knowledge that focus on multiple narratives.

Rashomon-style narratives are commonly found in film and literature, where unreliable narration, memory bias, and the limits of objective truth are explored. These works challenge audiences to weigh evidence, interpret motive, and consider how context and perspective shape understanding of events. While not a formal genre, Rashomon-style storytelling is used as a descriptive label across disciplines to highlight plurality of perception rather than a single definitive account.

See also: Rashomon effect, unreliable narrator, perspectival fiction, narrative theory.