Maple Leaf Viewing (1899)

Taira no Koremochi defeats the Kijo Momiji.

6 min · Japan · Dir. Tsunekichi Shibata

A reel of the Noh drama Momiji-gari, in which Danjuro Ichikawa played opposite Onoe Kikugoro V as an ogress who has disguised herself as the Princess Sarashina. Filmed by Shibata Tsunekichi in the open air on a windy day in November 1899, Danjuro would allow only the one take, so that when his fan blew away in mid-performance the scene had to stay. The film re-emerged at the Kikikan theatre in 1907 where it was a great success and inspired a wave of fiction filmmaking based on traditional Japanese narratives.

Cast

Danjuro Ichikawa

Princess Sarashina / Momiji

Kikugoro Onoe V

Taira no Koremochi

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