Movielogr
The Saga of Tanegashima (1968)
Directed by Kazuo Mori
Overview
Well before “Shogun” as warring clans were fighting for power throughout Japan, a Portuguese vessel ran aground off Tanegashima. Lord Tokitaka helped Captain Pinto repair his ship. The grateful captain offered the lord a gift—a matchlock musket—the first firearm ever seen in Japan. But like a great stone hurled into placid waters, this simple gift will start a revolution. Tokitaka tasks Kinbei, his greatest swordsmith, to copy this musket and build guns for Japan. While Kinbei struggles to forge Japan’s first musket, a great love blooms between Captain Pinto and Kinbei’s daughter Wakasa. But for Kinbei, to let Wakasa marry Pinto and go to Portugal is unthinkable. And as Kinbei creates Japan’s first matchlock factory, Lord Oda Nobunaga will seize upon firearms as the key to sweep all other clans before him, tearing a blood-soaked path of destruction through Japan.
Length 109 minutes
Actors
Rick Jason | Ayako Wakao | Eijirô Tôno | Shiho Fujimura | Jun Fujimaki | Asao Koike | Ichirô Nakatani | Rokkô Toura | Ryûtarô Gomi | Taketoshi Naitô | Kôichi Mizuhara | Saburo Date | Gen Kimura | Flemming Pedersen | Jun Fujikawa