* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Goban Giri (Bushido)
碁盤斬り
A 2024 period drama based on the rakugo story "Yanagida Kakunoshin," following a wrongfully accused ronin whose devotion to honesty in Go and the sword drives a story of honor and revenge.
Description
A period drama directed by Kazuya Shiraishi, released in May 2024. Based on the rakugo story "Yanagida Kakunoshin," it depicts Yanagida Kakunoshin (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi), a masterless samurai who was driven out of the Hikone domain on a false charge and lost his wife. He lives with his daughter Okinu in a poor tenement and keeps to a way of life in which he never lies in a game of go. One day, Kakunoshin learns the truth behind the old false accusation from a former samurai friend and resolves to settle the matter by taking up his own sword to bring the truth to light. Scenes of games played over a go board and tense sword fights are depicted in stark contrast, and the film was highly praised as a story in which samurai pride and revenge intersect. In addition to winning the Black Dragon Award at the 2024 Udine Far East Film Festival, it was screened at the New York Asian Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and it is presented overseas under the title "Bushido." It was director Kazuya Shiraishi's first full-fledged period drama, and his direction, which contrasts the momentary tension of whether or not to draw the sword with the quiet maneuvering over the go board, was highly praised.
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This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.