Special Series

Akanishi Kakita

赤西蛎太

Directed by: Mansaku Itami
1936 / 77 minutes / Unclassified all ages

When rebellion brews, an ill-fated samurai fakes his way through danger.

When word of rebellion arises, penniless samurai Akanishi Kakita is sent by his lord to Edo on a secret mission—to investigate the truth behind the rumours. Lacking the martial arts skills of most samurai, Kakita must get creative and rely on wit, rather than swordsmanship, to navigate conspiracies and unrest. Set against the backdrop of traditional architecture and idyllic landscapes, this jidaigeki (period drama) follows Kakita as he undertakes his bold and, at times, ridiculously flawed, undercover assignment—culminating in a comedic and cockeyed escape plan. As rural nobility clashes with a transforming urban milieu, this film humorously deconstructs the role of samurai amidst the anxieties of prewar Japan at the time of the film’s release. 

A pioneer of satire in Japanese cinema, director Mansaku Itami’s comedic classic offers a fresh perspective on samurai life with its combination of wry humour and sharp social commentary. Itami further subverts genre conventions by casting jidaigeki star Chiezō Kataoka in two contrasting roles and by mocking the revered practice of harakiri, with his use of humour drawing comparisons to the likes of filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin and René Clair. This alternative approach to filmmaking later influenced Itami’s son Jūzō Itami, the director of Tampopo (1985).