Birth of Japan (Hiroshi Inagaki, Japan, 1959)

The Gods create Japan and their human offspring populate the country. But in the peaceful community of Ise, Prince Yamato’s (Toshiro Mifune) nephews led by Otomo (Eiijiro Tono) plot permanent exile for him so they can seize power. Ordered to fight a series of wars Yamato finds solace in the love of servant-girl-to-the-Gods Ototachibana (Yoko Tsukasa) and the legends of … Read the rest

A Legend Or Was It? (Keisuke Kinoshita, Japan, 1963)

In the last months of WW2 a tiny village becomes home to two refugee families, the Sonobes and the Shimizus. But after pretty Yuri Shimizu (Mariko Kaga) refuses to marry the mayor’s son, a local war hero named Takamori (Bunta Sugawara), malicious rumours put about by the latter have the villagers blaming the new arrivals for every incident no matter … Read the rest