Jirocho Begins His Roving Life

1953 1h 23m JA

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jirocho the gambler hits the road.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Akio Kobori
Torazo Hirosawa
Setsuko Wakayama
Miyuki Takakura
Eiko Miyoshi
Keiko Sumida
Michiko Toyoshima
Hisaya Morishige

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahiro Makino
Writers: Genzō Murakami, Kenrō Matsuura, Genzō Murakami
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Jirocho Sangokushi" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahiro Makino, shot by Kazuo Yamada. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Akio Kobori and Torazo Hirosawa and Setsuko Wakayama carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0335198 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahiro Makino directs. Kazuo Yamada behind the camera. Seiichi Suzuki scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Jirocho Sangokushi" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Masahiro Makino, shot by Kazuo Yamada. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Seiichi Suzuki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Akio Kobori and Torazo Hirosawa and Setsuko Wakayama carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0335198 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuo Yamada
Original score: Seiichi Suzuki
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Jirocho Begins His Roving Life (1953)

Part of

Jirocho Sangokushi

The tale of real-life Yakuza boss Shimizu Jirocho is told from his earliest beginnings as a gambler on the road as he forms his gang and sets out on the path to fame and fortune.