Momijigari (1903)

Original title

紅葉狩

Directed by

Tsunekichi Shibata

Genre

silent film

Country

Japan

Runtime

6 min

Rating

5.8 of 10 from 17 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This film records two kabuki actors performing a scene from a play. It is the oldest surviving Japanese film and shows a staged theatrical performance.

historicalstatictheatricalarchivalstagedsilentobservational

What happens

Momijigari (紅葉狩; a.k.a. Viewing Scarlet Maple Leaves, Maple Leaf Viewing, or Maple Viewing) is a Japanese film shot in 1899 by Shibata Tsunekichi. It is a record of the kabuki actors Onoe Kikugorō V and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX performing a scene from the kabuki play Momijigari. It is the oldest extant Japanese film and the first film to be designated an Important Cultural Property. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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