Kukai

1984 2h 59m JA

🤯

9.5

MASTERPIECE

★9.5TMDB · 2

HistoryDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The life and times of Kûkai, a Japanese monk who studies Esoteric Buddhism in the far reaches of India, China and Tibet, then uses their combined influence to establish the Shingon school during the Heian period in early 9th Century AD.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Kinya Kitaoji
Kukai
Mayumi Ogawa
Kō Nishimura
Hideo Murota
Hisaya Morishige
Teruhiko Saigō
Katsuo Nakamura
Kimie Shingyoji

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Junya Satō
Writers: Akira Hayasaka
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

Clocks in at 179 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Junya Satō, shot by Masahiko Iimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kinya Kitaoji and Mayumi Ogawa and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0327007 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Junya Satō directs. Masahiko Iimura behind the camera. Stomu Yamashta scores. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 179 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
242 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Junya Satō, shot by Masahiko Iimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Stomu Yamashta. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Kinya Kitaoji and Mayumi Ogawa and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0327007 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.