is a 1938

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

period film directed by

Hisatora Kumagai was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography * 1932 ''Dōinrei, Mobilization Orders'' (lost) * 1936 ''Takuboku, Poet of Passion'' * 1936 ''Many People'' * 1938 ''The Abe Clan (1938 film), The Abe Clan'' References Exter ...

and released by Toho. It is an adaptation of the 1913 Japanese short story " Abe ichizoku" by Mori Ōgai.

Plot

Set during the Tokugawa period, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, feudal lord of the Higo Province, falls ill but forbids his vassals from committing

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

after he dies. They all defy his request and after Abe Yaichi'emon, the last loyal holdout, also commits seppuku, Mitsunao, Tadatoshi's son and the new feudal lord, punishes the Abe clan for Yaichi'emon's disobedience.

Cast

* Chōjūrō Kawarasaki as Matajuro Emoto * Kan'emon Nakamura as Ygobei * Shizue Yamagishi as Toshi * Masako Tsutsumi as Osaki * Emitaro Ichikawa as Yaichi'emon Abe * Kunitarō Kawarazaki *

Kosaburō Tachibana Kosaburo, Kōsaburō or Kousaburou (written: 攻三郎, 恒三郎 or こうさぶろう in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese mathematician *, Japanese politician Kosaburō or Kosaburou ...

as Gonbei * Shinzaburo Ichikawa as Ichitayu * Daisuke Katō *

Kosaburo Hashi Kosaburo, Kōsaburō or Kousaburou (written: 攻三郎, 恒三郎 or こうさぶろう in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese mathematician *, Japanese politician Kosaburō or Kosaburou ...

* Shimajiro Yamazaki as Gotayu *

Yuko Ichinose Yuko may refer to: * Yuko (judo) (''yūkō''), a score in judo competition * Yuko (Ukrainian band), a Ukrainian band * Yūko, a Japanese female given name (including a list of persons with the name) * Yuko, a Belgian band * Yuko people, an Am ...

Production

The film is an adaptation of the 1913 short story " Abe ichizoku" by Mori Ōgai (translated into English under the titles ''The Abe Family'' as well as ''The Abe Clan''), which was inspired by the

junshi refers to the medieval Japanese act of vassals committing seppuku (a voluntary suicide) for the death of their lord. Originally it was only performed when the lord was slain in battle or murdered. Background The practice is described by Chines ...

loyalty suicides committed by the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

hero General

Nogi Maresuke Count , also known as Kiten, Count Nogi (December 25, 1849September 13, 1912), was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese Army and a governor-general of Taiwan. He was one of the commanders during the 1894 capture of Port Arthur from Chin ...

and his wife on the day of the funeral of

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

. The same story was again adapted into a television film in 1995 directed by Kinji Fukasaku.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abe Clan (1938 film), The 1938 films 1930s Japanese films 1930s historical drama films Japanese historical drama films 1930s Japanese-language films Jidaigeki films Films set in the 1640s Samurai films Toho films Films set in Kumamoto Prefecture Films about suicide Films based on short fiction Japanese black-and-white films 1938 drama films Films scored by Shirō Fukai