The Three Treasures
| The Three Treasures | |
|---|---|
 Japanese film poster | |
| Directed by | Hiroshi Inagaki |
| Produced by | |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Kojiki and Nihon Shoki |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kazuo Yamada[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
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Running time | 182 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
The Three Treasures (日本誕生 Nippon Tanjō, lit. Birth of Japan) is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and the origins of Shinto.[1] The film was highest grossing film of 1959 for Toho that year and the second highest grossing domestic production in Japan of the year.
Plot
The Three Treasures retells the story of the Yamata no Orochi legend, and features the great adventure of Susanoo as he fights the legendary serpent Orochi, in order to save the maidens of a village in the newly-formed Japanese country.
Cast
- Toshiro Mifune as Prince Yamato Takeru and Susanoo
- Takashi Shimura as Elder Kumaso
- Kōji Tsuruta as Younger Kumaso
- Ganjirō Nakamura as Emperor Keikō
- Akira Takarada as Prince Wakatarashi
- Kinuyo Tanaka as Princess Yamato
- Yoko Tsukasa as Princess Oto Tachibana
- Kyōko Kagawa as Princess Miyazu
- Setsuko Hara as Amaterasu
Production
Stuart Galbraith IV described the film as a religious epic in the style of director Cecil B. DeMille that featured "virtually every star and bit player on the Toho lot".[1]
Release
The Three Treasures was distributed theatrically in Japan by Toho on November 1, 1959.[1] The film was Toho's most profitable film of the year and second highest grossing domestic film of 1959.[1] The film was released in the United States by Toho International Company with English-language subtitles on December 20, 1960.[1] This version of the film was cut to 112 minutes.[1]
References
Footnotes
Sources
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 1461673747. Retrieved October 29, 2013.