Films such as "Seven Samurai" (1954) and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), directed by Akira Kurosawa, are known in Japan as "period dramas." The first installment of our serial "Introduction to Japanese Films," which introduces introductory articles for overseas readers about film genres that have evolved uniquely in Japan, is on the topic of "period dramas."

Jidaigeki are film works that depict battles between samurai and human dramas set in premodern Japan up until the late 1870s. They have a long history, and if we include predecessors that existed before the term "jidai geki" was coined, they have been produced since the late 19th century, the earliest period when film screenings began in Japan. From the mid-1950s to the early 1960s, when "Seven Samurai" and "The Hidden Fortress" were produced, around 170 jidaigeki were produced every year, accounting for roughly half of the annual box office revenue. Since then, as the main venue for jidaigeki has shifted from film to television, works of various formats and content have continued to be released.

Taichi Kasuga, a rare period drama expert in Japan, will explain how to enjoy period dramas. Let him take us into the profound world of Japanese period dramas, from thrilling action films to those that explore modern themes such as the difficulties women face in life and BL.

Interview and text: Tomoko Hasegawa Photos: Keita Tamamura Editing: Satomi Hara (CINRA, Inc.)

The strength of period dramas is that you can't tell if something is true or false

--In your book, you describe Japanese period dramas as "a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed around the world." Why do you think so?

Kasuga:First of all, the most important prerequisite for truly high-quality entertainment is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, genders, and nationalities. I believe that period dramas offer an ideal environment for creating entertainment that meets this standard. Period dramas are easy to depict the important elements of entertainment, such as action, suspense, love and romance, and life in harsh natural environments.

Kasuga:Entertainment movies are basically fiction. However, if the audience thinks, "This is a lie," they will lose interest. In that respect, the strength of period dramas is that "you don't know if it's true or false."

Period dramas depict the distant past, a world that no one has ever seen before. If there were a car chase or a gunfight set in modern Japan, people would think, "That's impossible," but in period dramas, action scenes can be performed using horses and swords, so even if it's a lie, it seems "real."

That's why I think period dramas are a suitable medium for creating large-scale entertainment works in Japan.

--A wide range of people overseas enjoy period dramas as costume dramas, and when countries like China, Korea, India, and Turkey produce global hits, they are often period dramas. So, Kasuga's explanation makes sense.

Kasuga:Both China and Korea are putting effort into period dramas, and historical dramas continue to be produced in the West as well. For example, the American production "Game of Thrones" is now more expressive overseas.

There is something romantic about stories of an unknown past. In addition, past societies had a stricter class system than today. Lives are also traded. For this reason, it is easier to create a dramatic development in these stories than in modern dramas.

The "international nature" of period dramas

--When you ask Westerners, "What Japanese films do you know?" the overwhelming majority of them reply, "I know Kurosawa." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) also made many period dramas, but why do you think his works have become so firmly established as a brand that represents Japan?

Kasuga:Kurosawa won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for "Rashomon" (1950) and earned the title "Kurosawa of the World." He went on to create new forms of entertainment expression with works such as "Seven Samurai" (1954), "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), and "Yojimbo" (1961).

This influenced new-age directors such as Sergio Leone, Steven Spielberg, Francis Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas. Leone remade the film without permission, Spielberg, Coppola, and Lucas provided production funding, and Scorsese showed his respect for Kurosawa by starring in it.

There are other directors all over the world who have been influenced by Kurosawa, but no other Japanese director has had such a lasting and global impact.

Kasuga:One of the main reasons why Akira Kurosawa is so respected by directors all over the world is his thorough attention to the power and dynamism of his images. Every single cut, camera movement, and lens choice. Then there are the dramatic visual effects, such as the scene with a burning water mill in the background in "Seven Samurai," the melee in the pouring rain, and the duel amid a cloud of flying dust in "Yojimbo." The power of these images appeals to the visual sense, so you can enjoy them even if you don't understand the dialogue or the setting that well.

Moreover, this was possible only because it was a period drama. By pushing the possibilities of period dramas to their limits, Kurosawa could be said to have created entertainment that people all over the world could enjoy. Period dramas are sometimes seen as a "traditional culture unique to Japan," but in fact they can also be said to be an expression with an international flavor.

The merits and demerits of the long-running series "Mito Komon" that has had a peak audience rating of 40% for 50 years

--This makes us realize just how great Director Kurosawa was. However, it is hard to say that Japanese period dramas are currently attracting many fans overseas. Even in Japan, when people think of "period dramas," few people may imagine flashy action scenes like those in Kurosawa's works. Why has this happened?

Kasuga:This was largely due to the influence of the TV series "Mito Komon" that began in 1969. From the late 1960s, the main battlefield for period dramas shifted from film to television. Then, filmmakers saw the potential in this new medium and began to create stimulating and challenging period dramas.

A prime example of this would be "Hissatsu Shikakenin" (1972). The protagonist is an acupuncturist on the surface, but secretly works as an assassin, killing people with acupuncture needles for money. This is framed with images that use extremely strong shadows, creating a unique hard-boiled world. Films like this were made with confidence, and were hits. That was the era.

Kasuga:However, from the latter half of the 1970s onwards, it started to become repetitive. This was due to the influence of "Mito Komon."

"Mito Komon" is set in the middle of the Edo period (late 17th century), and tells the story of Mito Mitsukuni, a man of power second only to the Shogun at the time, who disguises himself as a commoner and travels around the country, punishing villains wherever he goes. This series became hugely popular in the late 1970s, and as television grew as an industry, there was a demand for greater efficiency in production, so most period dramas fell into the same mold of promoting good and punishing evil. And as such period dramas were mass-produced for many years, they became established as the general image of period dramas.

Kinji Fukasaku, a master of period dramas

--Even in Japan, there aren't many young fans, and the image of period dramas has become fixed. But surely there are still many hidden gems in Japanese period dramas that you would like young people in Japan, and the world, to know about?

Kasuga:First of all, I think that movies that have action scenes are easy for foreigners to get into. Kurosawa's works include "Seven Samurai" and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), but there are also some interesting period dramas that were influenced by them. For example, the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series starring Wakayama Tomisaburo, which was made in the early 1970s based on a manga, is a series of thrilling action scenes that make you wonder, "Wow, can period dramas have so much variety in action scenes?"

Kasuga:Another master of period action films is director Kinji Fukasaku (1930-2003). He is known for his yakuza films such as "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" (1973), but his period films are also really interesting.

Actor Shinichi Chiba, who has appeared in many of Fukasaku's films, says that he and Director Fukasaku shared the understanding that "the body is the actor's language." It is important for an actor to be able to express a variety of things through movement, and actors need to prepare a body that can express anything. And that is exactly why it resonates with the world. The dynamism of a moving human being transcends language barriers. In fact, this is proven by the fact that Hiroyuki Sanada, who was brought up under those teachings, is now active in Hollywood.

Among Fukasaku's period dramas, Makai Tensho (1981), starring Chiba, is particularly stimulating. The story unfolds as swordsmen, including Miyamoto Musashi, who was active in the early Edo period, who are brought back to life from the afterlife as "mysterious beings" through magical powers, and Chiba plays the swordsman Yagyu Jubei, who challenges them. The performances of the great actors who play the resurrected swordsmen, such as Ogata Ken, Wakayama Tomisaburo, Murota Hideo, and Sanada Hiroyuki, are like real monsters. Chiba Shinichi, who challenges them, is also outstandingly cool, and each of the action scenes is also very impressive. The final scene, in which they fight one-on-one in the flames that actually burn down the set, is particularly impressive.

From the difficulties women face in life to BL. Modernity found in period dramas

--One of the main reasons why period dramas are now so popular on the global market seems to be that they portray women in a way that is relevant to modern times. If there are any Japanese period dramas that have a female theme, please let us know.

Kasuga:In pre-modern societies, women were often hidden in the shadows of men. Therefore, period dramas have appealed to women who find life difficult in the modern world by faithfully depicting the hardships and tragedies that must have befallen women of the past.

For example, in director Kenji Mizoguchi's (1898-1956) film "The Life of a Woman" (1952), a woman is portrayed who, because of her beauty, is at the mercy of men's tyranny and lust, and who, despite her attempts to resist them, ends up falling into disgrace.

Kasuga:In "A Woman Called En" (1971) directed by director Tadashi Imai (1912-1991), a woman whose family is forced into confinement after her father falls from grace in samurai society, learns academics while corresponding with the outside world, and tries to carve out her own destiny through her intelligence. I think that even modern women can relate to such works.

You can also enjoy period dramas in a BL way, depicting "beautiful, intimate relationships between men." For example, the most exciting part of a duel scene is when a man "kills a friend he doesn't want to kill." To portray this, it is necessary to portray the passionate friendship and trust between the fighters. If you look at it from a different perspective, it can even seem like the two are in love, and the duel can even be seen as a love scene. "Tsubaki Sanjuro" (1962) and "The Tale of Zatōichi" (1963) are some great examples of this.

In recent years, there has also been a work called "Rising Jakuchu: The Awakening of a Genius" that was broadcast on NHK in January 2021. The work depicts the trusting relationship between two men, the Edo period painter Ito Jakuchu and his supporter, the monk Daiten Kenjo, but the scene at the end where Jakuchu makes a confession is almost a "confession of love," and it is quite heartwarming, including the expressions of the actors Nakamura Shichinosuke and Nagayama Eita.

The origins of the anime "Gundam" lie in period dramas!

--I've heard that you've been fascinated by period dramas since you were a child. In your book, you reveal that you even watched the robot anime series Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-) from a period drama perspective. Was it through your family's influence that you became so immersed in the world of period dramas?

Kasuga:I didn't watch variety shows. I was an only child, so my parents were the only people I could talk to. I watched anime, but after the show ended, I would watch whatever show my parents tuned in to keep up with the conversation. These were mostly period dramas, and they were interesting.

So whether I was watching "Gundam" or the special effects TV series "Space Sheriff Gavan" (1982-1983), I was drawn to the coolness of the sword action - in other words, the sword fighting.

--Listening to you, Mr. Kasuga, I feel that there is still a lot of hidden potential in Japanese period dramas. To make them known around the world, we need to be more proactive in promoting them. It seems that your role as a guide will be increasingly called for.

Kasuga:I think the Japanese film industry should be more confident in promoting period dramas to the world. However, in that case, they tend to take the approach of "this is the beauty of Japan" or "this is the samurai spirit", but that's a negative point. I think the fun of the action in period dramas and the coolness of the heroes are international. Just like ninjas became popular characters all over the world, I think it would be good to present them without feeling pretentious.