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Jidaigeki Revival? The Global Success of “Shōgun” and the Future of Japan’s Period Dramas

  • Makino Shōzō, left, and Onoe Matsunosuke (1875–1926), a journeyman stage actor who became Japan’s first movie star through Makino’s films. (Courtesy of the National Diet Library)

    Makino Shōzō, left, and Onoe Matsunosuke (1875–1926), a journeyman stage actor who became Japan’s first movie star through Makino’s films. (Courtesy of the National Diet Library)

  • Tōei’s Uzumasa Kyoto Village soon after its opening (as Tōei Kyoto Studio Park) in 1975. The open set continues to serve both as a theme park and as an active filming location for period dramas. (© Kyōdō)

    Tōei’s Uzumasa Kyoto Village soon after its opening (as Tōei Kyoto Studio Park) in 1975. The open set continues to serve both as a theme park and as an active filming location for period dramas. (© Kyōdō)

  • Fukumoto Seizō (1943–2021) performing as a sword-fighting extra at Uzumasa Kyoto Village. After joining Tōei as a contract actor at age 15, he appeared in countless jidaigeki productions—as well as the 2003 Hollywood film The Last Samurai—and became known as “the man who was cut down 50,000 times.” (© Kyōdō)

    Fukumoto Seizō (1943–2021) performing as a sword-fighting extra at Uzumasa Kyoto Village. After joining Tōei as a contract actor at age 15, he appeared in countless jidaigeki productions—as well as the 2003 Hollywood film The Last Samurai—and became known as “the man who was cut down 50,000 times.” (© Kyōdō)

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