Jiraiya the Hero

An adventure film with Benshi performers. Sometimes considered the 'first Japanese feature film', it survives today as a compilation of scenes from various different 1910s adaptations totaling nearly three hours in length. The bulk of the content comes from the 1911 adaptation by legendary Japanese filmmaker Makino Shozo.

Lord Asano Takumi-no-Kami Naganori was charged with receiving a group of envoys from the Imperial Court in Kyoto. He was young and slightly inexperienced, so Lord Kira Kozuke-no suke Yoshinako was given the task of instructing Lord Asano in the customs of the ceremony. On the day of the reception, something went terrible wrong, and Lord Asano attempted to kill Lord Kira. For this, Lord Asano was order to commit seppuku. However, in violation of existing law, Lord Kira was not punished. The ruling Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi eventually confiscated Lord Asano's land and dismissed the samurai that had served him so faithfully, effectively making them all ronin. Two years later, Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshi led a group of samurai loyal to Lord Asano in an attack on Kira's compound. Their aim was to capture and kill him.

This film is a film adaptation of one of Shinkokugeki's popular plays, known for its famous line, "Tonight is the last night of Mount Akagi...", starring Sawada Shojiro, the original performer of the title role, and directed by Makino Shozo, the "father of Japanese cinema". It was shot in just four days, including location shooting, in between Shinkokugeki's hectic schedule. Although it is an abbreviated version, it contains almost all of the highlights from Yukitomo Rifu's original play, and conveys the charm of Sawa Masaru, a rare and popular actor, to this day.

In 1908, Director/Producer Shozo Makino (father of Japanese cinema) directed and produced the first dramatic film in Kyoto. “Honnô-ji Gassen” was shot at Shinnyo-Do Temple. Considered a lost film.

Kageboshi, based on the screenplay by Rokuhei Rokuhei Susukita, depicts the life of the ‘jovial thief’, Kageboshi.

A representative film directed by Masahiro Makino, son of Shozo Makino ("the father of Japanese film"). This film lent status to ensemble casts that did not rely on famous stars. The unique setting of the samurai town, exquisite camera work and fast-paced sword fighting scenes all have an original appeal that audiences can related to even today.