[Masterpiece Films] Japanese Films You Must See if You Love Japan! 5 Films with Japanese Musical Instruments

Music is an indispensable part of movies. In particular, the music of films that are called "masterpieces" are often composed by first-rate composers, and many of them may be wonderful on their own. In addition to the theme song, sound effects during the film are also an important element in enjoying the film. In this issue, we will introduce films in which the sounds of Japanese musical instruments are played during the film.

1. Seven Samurai

(c)1954 TOHO CO.

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Isao Kimura, Keiko Tsushima, Minoru Chiaki
Country of Origin: Japan
Release Date: 1954
Synopsis:
The Warring States Period in Japan when wild samurai became barbaric. Peasants in a poor village decide to hire samurai to protect their village from the rogue samurai. The seven samurai and the villagers gather together to attack the rogue samurai.

Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is said to have influenced top directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola. Japanese instruments also appear in such a masterpiece of cinema.

- Biwa - a Japanese lute

At the inn where the peasants stay when they go to hire a samurai in town, a blind biwa player plays his biwa with the sound of rain in the background. The unique classical scale of the music creates a somber atmosphere that seems to express the mood of the desperate peasants who cannot easily find a samurai.

- Shinobue, shimedaiko, sasara, and gong -

After the battle is over, the peasants perform the "Rice Planting Song" during the rice planting scene. The villagers dance and plant rice while shouting energetically to the rhythm of the taiko and gong. The contrast between the bright sound of the flutes, which seem to indicate that the wild warriors have left and peace has returned to the village with the images of the graves of the dead samurai is a striking scene.

REMO / Jitadaiko

Oooka Shisui / Shisui-style Shinobue Shinobue, Shisui-go, Key of C

2. Kubo and the Two Strings

(c)2016 TWO STRINGS, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Directed by Travis Knight
Voices: Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Art Parkinson
Country of Origin: USA
Released: 2017
Synopsis:
Kubo is a one-eyed boy who plays a magic shamisen and makes origami. He and a monkey, brought to life by his mother's powers, embark on a journey to find the "Three Magical Pieces of Armor" and discover the secret of his birth.

- Shamisen -

A stop-motion animation set in ancient Japan, featuring the shamisen and origami. The main character is the boy Kubo with his shamisen, and the sound of the shamisen is played throughout the film. The shamisen is used effectively to match the mood of each scene, from a soothing tone that penetrates the heart to a powerful sound that is expressed during battle scenes. In addition to the shamisen, the shakuhachi and koto (Japanese stringed instruments), Kyushu's folk song "Tankobushi" is played during the Bon dance scene, stag beetles, lantern floating, and many other Japanese attractions are included in this film. Also, the ending theme of the Japanese dubbed version is performed by Tsugaru shamisen players, the Yoshida Brothers.

SUZUKI / Shamisen Set Kaede MS-8 Japanese musical instrument

3. The Last Samurai

(C)2003 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koyuki
Country of Origin: USA
Release Date: 2003
Synopsis:
Immediately after the Meiji Restoration. Captain Algren who served as a captain in the Civil War is asked to train a modern army and visits Japan. One day, he is kidnapped by a group of samurai and meets a samurai. With the samurai calmly observing the end of the age of the samurai, he learns the spirit of bushido.

- Shakuhachi -

The soundtrack is by film music composer Hans Zimmer who is famous for Pirates of the Caribbean and Backdraft. Although no instruments appear in the film, the background music features koto, taiko, shakuhachi, and other Japanese instruments that become intertwined with magnificent strings and synthesizer sounds, making for a very rewarding listening experience. The sound of the shakuhachi is expressed through the use of playing techniques such as muraiki, nayashi, and suriage, which are techniques that create the typical sound of the shakuhachi. It is no exaggeration to say that the shakuhachi plays an active role in creating the mood of the film.

Nihon Conductor Hanbai ( Japan Conductor Hanbai ) / Plastic Shakuhachi Yu 1 shaku8sun

4. The Life of Muhomatsu

(c) Toho

Director: Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Hideko Takamine, Hiroshi Akutagawa, Chishu Kasasa
Country of Origin: Japan
Release Date: 1958
Synopsis:
Shogoro is a rickshaw driver who is a loner and quarrelsome, but has a pure heart. One day, he helps a boy who was being bullied and becomes friends with his family. When the boy's father later dies of illness, Matsugoro develops a bond with the mother and son that becomes like a real family.

- Wadaiko - Japanese drumming

This film features a masterful performance by Toshiro Mifune, one of the Showa era's great stars. “The Life of Muhomatsu” is also known as a hit song by enka singer Hideo Murata. The film's main highlight is the scene in which Mifune's character, Shogoro, performs the Gion taiko drum. The taciturn and clumsy man modestly says something like, "Let's just try to imitate it," and then begins to play a full-fledged taiko drum, captivating the crowd. The scene of the powerful drumming, reminiscent of the rough seas of the Sea of Japan, is one of the coolest and most famous scenes in the history of cinema.

ROLAND / TAIKO-1 Electronic Japanese Drum

5. Love and Honor

(c)2006 Samurai no Ichibun Production Committee

Director: Yoji Yamada
Cast: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Takashi Sasano, Mitsugoro Bando
Country of Origin: Japan
Release Date: 2006
Synopsis:
Shinnojo Mimura (Takuya Kimura), a low-ranking samurai, lives happily with his wife, but his life begins to spiral out of control when he loses his sight after serving as a poisoner for the feudal lord.

- Shakuhachi, sho, biwa -

The music is by world-renowned synthesizer artist and composer Isao Tomita, and the wonderful sound of the shakuhachi played by Fujiwara Dozan, also known as the noble lord of the Japanese music world, expresses the emotions and circumstances of the samurai. The sound of the shakuhachi is used effectively as the background sounds along with the sho, biwa, wind chimes, and the chirping of birds and insects, etc. If you are viewing this film at home, I highly recommend that you view it at a loud volume on speakers or with headphones.

Shakuhachi

ZENON / Sho

In addition to the movies introduced here, there are many other movies, both foreign and Japanese, in which Japanese instruments appear or are used as accompaniment.