Arashi no Kodokan
The Judo Champ
- Release Date
- August, 12th, 1958
- Running Time
- 89 min
- Genre
- Feature
- Color
- Monochrome
- Screening Format
- Digital Betacam
- Screen Size
- Cinema Scope (1:2.35)
[ Directed by ]
[ Cast ]
[ Staff ]
- MATSUURA Tateo ── Screenplay
- ISHII Kiichi ── Screenplay
- KATO Mitsuo ── Music
[ Production Company ]
DAIEI
[ Distributor (Japan) ]
DAIEI
[ Story ]
When Shinsuke returns to Kyushu from the Russo-Japanese War he finds his Judo school hall neglected and in decay. His Judo teacher has died and his brother, Ryota, and the teacher's only daughter, Akiko, are greatly disturbed by Zanba, who intends to use the school for teaching the Loochoo art of Karate.
Shinsuke finds that Ryota has given up Judo and is devoted to his studies. Akiko, whom Shinsuke admires, and Ryota are in love with each other and wish to leave their Judo school and go to Tokyo. Shinsuke decides to prevent Zanba taking over the school and they meet early one morning on a cliff above the sea. A fierce struggle follows, during which the two fall over the precipice into the sea.
Five years have passed. Shinsuke, now blind returns from China where he was taken by a Chinese fisherman who rescued him from the sea. Coming home in the ship he meets a woman by the name of Ryu and takes a room with her family in Tokyo, and undergoes an operation to cure his blindness.
With the assistance of Ryu, he meets his brother, Ryota who is now a government official and has a bright future. After Ryota and Akiko came to Tokyo, they had to endure much poverty and to earn enough for Ryota's school expenses, Akiko became a geisha. Now Akiko waits for Ryota to succeed in life and marry her. However, Ryota, now ambitious and selfish, forsakes her, refuses even to see his blind brother and proposes marriage to the beautiful daughter of a nobleman.
The other suitor for the nobleman's daughter is Sato who tries to win her by all means and orders his followers to beat Ryota and so force him to withdraw his proposal. Shinsuke hears of his brother's danger and after the operation, which is successful, hastens to assist him.
To his surprise, he finds that Zanba whom he had believed to have died in their fall over the cliff five years before is among Sato's followers. Shinsuke defeats the gangsters by his Judo skill, but his blindness returns.
And Ryota, deeply moved by his brother's love, now regrets his past and promises Shinsuke to make Akiko happy.
【Quoted from Unijapan Film Quarterly 1958.2.1】
[ Contact (International) ]
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