Ghost of the 53 Stations

1960 1h 25m JA

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

ComedyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Kota and Kosuke, from the Hikyaku-ya shop in Edo, went to Kyoto. Contrary to their carefree appearance, they carry a secret letter concerning the Aoba clan from Kyoto. A samurai who calls himself Okuma Danemon joins them on their journey, and soon people begin to appear one after another, seeking to get a secret letter...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Kōkichi Takada
Kosuke
Kōtarō Satomi
Kota
Atsushi Watanabe
Hiromi Hanazono
Osaki
Kyoji Sugi
Sakubei
Kōtarō Bandō
Okuma Danemon
Keiko Yukishiro
Tetsunosuke Tsukigata

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kokichi Uchide
Writers: Shinji Kessoku
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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

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 Kokichi Uchide, shot by Tsuneji Mori. 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 Eiichi Yamada. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kōkichi Takada and Kōtarō Satomi and Atsushi Watanabe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0202949 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kokichi Uchide directs. Tsuneji Mori behind the camera. Eiichi Yamada scores. Kozo Horiike cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
266 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Kokichi Uchide, shot by Tsuneji Mori. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Eiichi Yamada. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kozo Horiike shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kōkichi Takada and Kōtarō Satomi and Atsushi Watanabe carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0202949 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.