Namakura-gatana (1917) toy movie filmstrip

is a Japanese animated short film produced by Jun'ichi Kōuchi in 1917. It was rediscovered by an

antique shop An antique shop (or antiques shop) is a retail store specializing in the selling of antiques. Antiques shops can be located either locally or, with the advent of the Internet, found online. An antiques shop can also be located within an ant ...

employee in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

in March 2008. This film is a 4-minute silent short that tells a story about a foolish ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master ...

'' purchase of a dull-edged sword and subsequent attempts at '' tsujigiri''. It was released on June 30, 1917, and is among the very earliest examples of

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

Plot

is a short comedic ''

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—'' Portrait of H ...

'' about a dim-witted self-appointed

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

and his worn-down sword which turns completely useless as he tries to fight even the weakest opponents. The samurai, trying to figure out why his old sword cannot cut anyone he strikes, tries desperately to attack random townspeople who defend themselves and knock him out.

References

External links

* * 1910s animated short films 1910s anime films 1910s rediscovered films 1917 animated films 1917 films 1917 short films Anime short films Japanese black-and-white films Japanese silent short films Rediscovered Japanese films Samurai in anime and manga {{anime-film-stub