The Stairway to the Distant Past

1995 1h 45m JA

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 9

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Broke, with his vintage Nash convertible repossessed, private eye Mike Hama is reduced to combing the mean streets of the Yokohama waterfront on a borrowed bicycle. But when Lily, a beautiful stripper from out of Hama's past, returns to town, the fuse is lit on a criminal powder keg set to blow the lid off the Yokohama underworld.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Cast

Masatoshi Nagase
Maiku Hama
Haruko Wanibuchi
Lily Hama
Eiji Okada
White Man
Sumiko Sakamoto
Minato Mary
Joe Shishido
Jo Shishido
Kiyotaka Nanbara
Hoshino
Françoise Moréchand
Mika Ohmine
Akane Hama

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kaizo Hayashi
Writers: Kaizo Hayashi, Daisuke Tengan
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Part of the "Maiku Hama Private Eye Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kaizo Hayashi, shot by Yuichi Nagata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Yôko Kumagai. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nobuko Tomita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Masatoshi Nagase and Haruko Wanibuchi and Eiji Okada carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0109991 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kaizo Hayashi directs. Yuichi Nagata behind the camera. Yôko Kumagai scores. Nobuko Tomita cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

131 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Maiku Hama Private Eye Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Kaizo Hayashi, shot by Yuichi Nagata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Yôko Kumagai. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Nobuko Tomita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Masatoshi Nagase and Haruko Wanibuchi and Eiji Okada carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0109991 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Yuichi Nagata
Original score: Yôko Kumagai
Editing: Nobuko Tomita
Production design: Tomohisa Masumoto
Costume design: Masae Miyamoto
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: The Stairway to the Distant Past (1995)

Part of

Maiku Hama Private Eye Trilogy

Kaizo Hayashi wrote, produced, and directed this three part series centering around the exploits of his creation Maiku Hama, a Generation X answer to the private eye.