aka ''Time Slip'', is a 1979 Japanese

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

focusing on the adventures of a modern-day

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

(JGSDF) and

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

(JMSDF) team that accidentally travels in time to the . The film stars

Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fuku ...

, one of the top male Japanese actors, and was based on a novel by

Ryo Hanmura Ryo may refer to: * Ryō, a gold currency unit in pre-Meiji Japan Shakkanhō system * Ryō (actress) (born 1973), Japanese model, actress, and singer * Ryō (given name), a unisex Japanese given name * Ryo, Georgia Ryo is an unincorporated communit ...

, a well-known writer of historical novels and science fiction. A remake was theatrically released in Japan in 2005 under the title '' Samurai Commando: Mission 1549''.

Plot

During a defensive exercise, a wildly mixed group of Japanese SDF forces with a tank, an APC, a patrol boat and a helicopter suddenly find themselves stranded 400 years in the past through a sudden

time slip A time slip is a plot device in fantasy and science fiction in which a person, or group of people, seem to travel through time by unknown means. The idea of a time slip was used in 19th century fantasy, an early example being Washington Irving ...

effect and under attack by

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 ...

forces. Their acting commanding officer, Second Lieutenant Yoshiaki Iba, befriends and joins forces with

Nagao Kagetora , later known as was a Japanese ''daimyō''. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Known ...

, the war leader of lord Koizumi. Seeing the SDF weaponry in action, Kagetora persuades Iba to aid him in his struggle for supremacy in feudal Japan. In the meantime, however, Iba finds himself faced with the desperation of his men who want to return to their own time. Some make contact with the locals – one, Private First Class Mimura, even finds himself a consort who keeps following him – whilst others freak out, running away in a desperate attempt to return home, or rebelling against rules and restrictions and try to live as pirates. Finally, his force shrunk from 21 men to 11, Iba manages to calm his troops by telling them that by fighting history and thus creating a time paradox they might be able to return home. Iba joins Kagetora and fights by his side. Finally, Iba and the members face

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of great ...

's forces

in battle In Battle is an extreme metal band from Sundsvall, Sweden. The main lyrical themes of the band focus on Norse mythology and war. History The original line-up consisted of John Frölén on guitar and bass, John Odhinn Sandin on vocals, Håkan Sj� ...

. But their trust in their advanced weaponry costs them dearly: Shingen's forces outmanoeuvre them at every turn, the soldiers lose all their vehicles and major weapons, and five of them die on the battlefield. In a desperate attempt, Iba forces his way to Shingen's command post and kills him in a sword duel. As Iba and his remaining men go to join Kagetora in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

, the latter is put under pressure by his family and the

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573.Ackroyd, J ...

to get rid of Iba. Reluctantly conceding, Kagetora intercepts Iba's group at an old temple. But as Iba prepares to kill Kagetora for his betrayal, Kagetora shoots him. The other soldiers are killed by Kagetora's archers, and Mimura's consort delivers the fatal blow to her lover. Kagetora remorsefully buries Iba and his men with honors. In the end, only one of the members, Private Mokichi Nemoto, survives, who had left the group to help a boy and his family, whose father had been killed.

Cast

Shōwa period characters

Commissioned Officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

Yoshiaki Iba (Commanding Officer of the brigade) * Kazunaga Tsuji as

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

Shōichirō Ono (Commanding Officer of the patrol boat)

Non-Commissioned Officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

and

Enlisted Personnel An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States m ...

Raita Ryū is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his role as Gorisan (Detective Ishizuka) in ''Taiyō ni Hoero!''. He has a son , who is a musician and guitarist. Once, he belonged to Toshiro Mifune's production company. Selected filmography Films *' ...

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

Haruhisa Kimura * Shinichiro Mikami as Sergeant Goichi Shimada *

Tadashi Kato was a Japanese cyclist.五輪自転車初代日 ...

as Sergeant First Class Hideo Shimizu (Pilot-In-Command of the helicopter) *

Tsunehiko Watase (July 28, 1944 – March 14, 2017) was a Japanese actor known for portraying Rintaro Kano in ''Keishicho Sosa Ikka 9 Gakari'' ("Homicide Team 9"). He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Japan Academy Prize for '' The Incident'' an ...

as Leading Private Hayato Yano *

Hiroshi Kamayatsu was a Japanese singer and guitarist born in Tokyo. Profile "Monsieur" was a founding member of bands The Spiders, Vodka Collins, and also a solo act. In 2001 he had a reunion with some former members of The Spiders, as the band Sans Filtre. ...

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Mokichi Nemoto * Jinya Sato as Private Osamu Seki * Kokontei Shinkoma as Private Kenji Hori * Jun Eto as Private First Class Nobuhiko Ken * Yoichi Miura as Private First Class Manabu Nonaka * Akira Nishikino as Private First Class Koji Kikuchi * Hiromitsu Suzuki as Private First Class Gō Nishizawa * Koji Naka as Private First Class Taisuke Mimura *

Ryo Hayami born in Kimitsu, Chiba, Japan is a Japanese actor known for playing the hero Keisuke Jin in the tokusatsu superhero series ''Kamen Rider X''. On December 18, 2019, he suffered a heart attack from a collapse. He has been recovering. Filmograp ...

as Private First Class Kazumichi Morishita * Takuzo Kadono as

Seaman Seaman may refer to: * Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew * Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies * Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name) * ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...

Toshishige Suga * Isao Kuraishi as Private First Class Masao Maruoka *

Kenzo Kawarazaki is a common masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *賢三, "wise, three" *健三, "healthy, three" *謙三, "humble, three" *健想, "healthy, concept" *建造, "bu ...

as Private First Class Koji Kano *

Ken Takahashi is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in – and the New York Mets in . He returned to the Carp in 2010. Takahashi was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. On February 6, 2009, Takahashi declared ...

as Private First Class Masayoshi Hirai *

Akihiro Shimizu Akihiro (written: , , , , , , , , 明広, , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese volleyball player *, Japanese mixed martial artist *Akihiro Higuchi, U ...

as Private First Class Satoshi Ōnishi * Toshitaka Ito as Seaman Harumi Takashima *

Nana Okada is a Japanese singer and actress, represented by Avex Asunaro. She is a member of the girl group AKB48 and a former member of STU48. She has been a fixture in AKB48's major single lineups since 2016 and is considered one of the best singers in ...

as Kazuko Arai *

Hiroshi Katsuno is a Japanese actor.　He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Katsuno's debut was as a detective Texas in the television series Taiyō ni Hoero! in 1974 and he won great popularity through the role. The episode his character Texas was killed ...

as Track Coach

Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various s ...
period characters

Isao Natsuyagi was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1963 to 2013. Career In 1960, Natsuyagi began attending the Bungakuza actors school while attending Keio University. He eventually left Keio before graduating and entered the H ...

Haruki Kadokawa is a Japanese publisher, film producer, director and screenwriter. He was the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa and inherited the position of president of the publishing house Kadokawa Shoten in 1975. Under his guidance, the company soon branched into film ...

Sanada Masayuki was a Japanese Sengoku period lord and ''daimyō''. He was the head of Sanada clan,_a_regional_house_of_Shinano_Province.html" ;"title="DF 56 of 80/nowiki>">DF 56 of 80">("Sa ..., a regional house of Shinano Province">DF 56 of 80/nowiki>">DF 5 ...

* Hitoshi Omae as Kuribayashi Magoichi *

Kentaro Kudo was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan, Diet (national legislature). A native of Kunohe District, Iwate and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of ...

as Ishiba Takehide *

Katsumasa Uchida was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing villains and appeared in many ''jidaigeki'' and detective television dramas as a guest.『日本タレント名鑑'82』 VIPタイムズ社、1981 P.33 Uchida graduated from Aoyama Gakuin Unive ...

as Asaba Yorichika * Goro Kataoka as Tategawa Katsuzō *

Asao Koike was a Japanese actor. He is most famous for playing yakuza roles. He is also known as voice actor. In 1950, he joined the Bungakuza Theatre Company. In 1963, he left the Bungakuza Theatre Company and established the Kumo Theatre Company. He appea ...

as Koizumi Yukinaga *

Shin Kishida Shin Kishida (17 October 1939 – 28 December 1982) was a Japanese television, film, and stage actor. Biography Shin Kishida was born at Kawakita General Hospital in Asagaya, Suginami, Tokyo. His uncle was playwright Kunio Kishida, and actres ...

as Naoe Bungo *

Hirohisa Nakata Hirohisa (written: 裕久, 博久 or 浩久) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese musician *, Japanese film director and screenwriter {{given name Japanese masculine given ...

as Kuroda Naoharu * Hiroshi Tanaka as

Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...

Takeda Katsuyori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was son in law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Early life He was the son of Shingen by the daughter ...

Hiroko Yakushimaru is a common feminine Japanese given name. Name meanings Hiroko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *裕子, "kind child" *弘子, "Beautiful child" *寛子, " small child" *浩子, "large child" *博子, "wise child" *� ...

as Young Takeda Samurai * Gajiro Sato as Foot Soldier *

Mikio Narita was a Japanese actor. He was most famous for playing villains. He often worked with Kinji Fukasaku. Narita graduated from Haiyuza Theatre Company acting school and joined Daiei Film. His career as a screen actor started in 1963. His film debut ...

Kōsa , also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo (本願寺顕如), was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist warrior priests and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during ...

Mizuho Suzuki (born October 23, 1927) is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Manchukuo. He is a drop-out of Kyoto University. Filmography Film *'' Yogiri yo Kon'yamo Arigatō'' (1967) *''Zatoichi the Outlaw'' (1967) *''The Snow Woman'' (1968) *''The Sands o ...

as Shōgun

Masashi Ishibashi Masashi Ishibashi (Japanese: 石橋政嗣 ''Ishibashi Masashi'', October 6, 1924 – December 9, 2019) was a Japanese politician who served as chairman of the Japan Socialist Party from 1983 to 1986. Biography Early life Born in colonia ...

Hosokawa Fujitaka , also known as , was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shōgun. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango and went on ...

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as Miwa *

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as Masakichi *

Ryudo Uzaki is a Japanese musician, composer, and actor. His group, the Down Town Boogie-Woogie Band, was one of the most prominent 1970s Japanese rock music bands. He also composed many of Momoe Yamaguchi's songs with Yoko Aki. He is married to lyricist a ...

as Ochimusha * Ayako Honma as Old Woman * Koji Iizuka as Shokichi * Maiko Ōtsuka as Mai * Kaori Taniguchi as Shokichi & Mai's Mother *

Noboru Nakaya Noboru (written: , , , , in hiragana or katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, official in the government of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture *, former professional sumo wrestler and current politician fr ...

as Yoshitaka Kujo *

Moeko Ezawa Moeko (written: , or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. People with this name include: *, Japanese singer and actress *, Japanese professional wrestler who formerly used the stage name *, Japanese ice hockey forward *, Japanese bas ...

as Widow Yui

Equipment

Initially, the producers approached the

(JGSDF) for props and vehicles, but the army cut their support after reading that the soldiers went

AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or Military base, post without permission (a Pass (military), pass, Shore leave, liberty or Leave (U.S. military), leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with u ...

in the script. For that reason, old and sometimes out-dated equipment (like M3 submachine guns) had to be used. The tank featured in the movie was even built entirely from scratch. The vehicles, including a tank and a helicopter, continue to run despite there being no replenishing fuel supply in the 16th century – a logical problem which was resolved in the

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

Adaptations

*A film remake in 2005 was titled ''

Sengoku Jieitai 1549 ''Samurai Commando: Mission 1549'', known in Japan as , is a 2005 Japanese feature-length film and manga series focusing on the adventures of a modern-day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) element that accidentally travels through tim ...

''. *A four-episode TV miniseries called '' Sengoku Jieitai: Sekigahara no Tatakai'' was aired in 2006 by

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Television) ...

, directed by

Kōsei Saitō was a Japanese film director. He is known for directing the film '' G.I. Samurai ''. Selected filmography Film * ''Shayō no Omokage aka The Lonely Life'' (1967) (Fist work as a director) * ''Sannin no Onna Yoru no Chō aka Night Butterflies ...

Name of the movie in different languages

*Japanese: ''Sengoku Jieitai'' *English: ''G.I. Samurai'' *French: ''Les Guerriers de l'Apocalypse'' *Spanish: ''Eclipse En El Tiempo'' *Croatian: ''Vrijeme je stalo u 5 i 18'' *German: ''Time Slip – Tag der Apokalypse'' *Norwegian: ''Tidsstorm'' *Russian: ''Провал во времени'' *Cantonese: ''Zin3 Gwok3 Zi6 Wai6 Deoi6''

Home video

In the UK, the film was bundled with '' Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon'' and ''

The Bullet Train (also known as ''Super Express 109'') is a 1975 Japanese action thriller film directed by Junya Satō and starring Ken Takakura, Sonny Chiba, and Ken Utsui. When a Shinkansen ("bullet train") is threatened with a bomb that will explode automa ...

'' in ''The Sonny Chiba Collection Vol. 2'' Region 2 DVD set by Optimum Home Releasing.

In popular culture

*The film is indirectly referenced in the Japanese

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

series ''Gate'' as research material for

JSDF The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

countermeasures against the Special Region's Imperial forces, and fire rams and ambush trenches (both of which appear during the battle against Shingen's forces in the film) are made use of by Zorzal's forces during the later Imperial civil war.

References

戦国自衛隊・非公式サイト

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0083050, title=Sengoku Jieitai Films about time travel Toho films 1979 films Sengoku period in fiction Japanese science fiction action films Films set in the 16th century Japan Self-Defense Forces in fiction Films scored by Kentarō Haneda 1970s Japanese films