is a 1980 Japanese historical drama film directed by

Kei Kumai was a Japanese film director from Azumino, Nagano prefecture. After his studies in literature at Shinshu University, he began work as a director's assistant. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his first film, '' Nihon ...

, based on

Yasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, noted for his historical and autobiographical fiction. His most acclaimed works include '' The Bullfight'' (''Tōgyū'', 1949), ''The Roof Tile of Tempyō'' (''Tenpyō no iraka' ...

's novel of the same name. The film follows a Japanese mission to Tang China during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

Cast

Katsuo Nakamura is a Japanese actor. Nakamura is a former Kabuki actor as well as his older brother Kinnosuke Nakamura. His first film appearance was in the 1955 film ''Furisode Kenpo''. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 5th Japan Academy Prize ...

as Fushō * Masaaki Daimon as Yōei *

Takahiro Tamura was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1954 and 2005. He and his younger brothers Masakazu and Ryō were known as the three Tamura brothers. They were sons of actor Tsumasaburo Bando. Biography Tamura graduated from Dosh ...

Ganjin Jianzhen (; 688–763), or Ganjin in Japanese, was a Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. In the eleven years from 743 to 754, Jianzhen attempted to visit Japan some six times. Ganjin finally came to Japan in the year 753 and ...

* Mitsuo Hamada as Genrō *

Hisashi Igawa Hisashi Igawa (井川比佐志 born 17 November 1936) is a Japanese actor who has appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's '' Dodesukaden'', '' Ran'' and ''Madadayo is a 1993 Japanese comedy-drama film. It is the thirtieth and final film to ...

as Gyōgō *

Mieko Takamine (2 December 1918 – 27 May 1990) was a Japanese actress and singer. Biography Mieko Takamine was born the eldest daughter of famous Biwa, chikuzen biwa player and teacher Chikufu Takamine. She gave her acting debut in the 1936 film ''Kimi yo ta ...

as Yoroshime *

Hideko Yoshida is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 14th Hochi Film Award for ''Shaso''. Filmography * '' Neo Tokyo'' (1989) * ''Shaso'' (1989) * ''The Pillow Book'' (1996) * ''Will to Live'' (1999) * '' By Player'' (200 ...

as Koyoshi * Daigo Kusano as Kaiyu *

Shōbun Inoue was a Japanese actor. Inoue started his acting career at the Haiyuza Theatre Company. Later, he signed his contract with Nikkatsu film company. Filmography Films * ''Throne of Blood'' (1957) as Tsuzuki's messenger * ''Sun in the Last Days of t ...

as Yoshihiko * Yasukiyo Umeno as

Kibi no Makibi was a Japanese scholar and noble during the Nara period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Kibi no Makibi"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 512. Also known as . Early life Kibi no Makibi was born in Shimotsumichi County, Bitchu Province (present-d ...

Kōji Takahashi (born 10 June 1935 in Tōkamachi, Niigata), is a Japanese actor, who attended Niigata Prefectural Tōkamachi High School and later Toyo University. Career While he was at Toyo University, Takahashi became a chauffeur of Seiji Miyaguchi, an actor ...

Abe no Nakamaro , whose Chinese name was Chao Heng (, pronounced ''Chōkō'' in Japanese), was a Japanese scholar and '' waka'' poet of the Nara period. He served on a Japanese envoy to Tang China and later became the Tang '' duhu'' (protectorate governor) o ...

Osamu Takizawa was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ushigome, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Starting at the Tsukiji Little Theater, Takizawa participated in a number of theatrical troupes before forming Gekidan Mingei with Jūkichi Uno. His was praised for his performan ...

Rōben (689 – 773), also known as Ryōben, was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Kegon sect, and clerical founder of the Tōdai-ji temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. He is popularly known as the . His life spanned the late Asuka period (538 &nd ...

Takashi Shimura was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1934 and 1981. He appeared in 21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films (more than any other actor), including as a lead actor in '' Drunken Angel'' (1948), ''Rashomon'' (1950), ''Ikiru'' (1952) a ...

as Ryuson

References

External links

* 1980 films 1980 drama films Japanese drama films Films based on Japanese novels Jidaigeki films Films scored by Toru Takemitsu 1980s Japanese films {{1980s-Japan-film-stub