Momijigari
"Japan's oldest surviving film frame"
Keys: Space play/pause · ←/→ 10s · F fullscreen · M mute · </> speed
About this film
Onoe Kikugorō V and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX perform a scene from the kabuki play Momijigari, filmed outdoors behind the Kabuki-za in 1899. The record preserves two masters at the height of their fame.
More about this film
About the production
Themes
Themes & topics
Historical background
Shibata Tsunekichi shot Momijigari in November 1899 with a Gaumont camera. Public exhibition waited until July 1903.
Why this film matters
Designated an Important Cultural Property in 2009, Momijigari is the earliest extant Japanese motion picture.
Making of
Production details for Momijigari (1903) are sparse in public archives.
What critics said
Critics and historians treat the three-minute record as invaluable despite its fixed camera.
Did you know?
- Filmed in 1899; first public showings in 1903.
- Shot behind Tokyo's Kabuki-za theatre.
- First film named an Important Cultural Property in Japan.
What audiences thought
Audience records for Momijigari are fragmentary.
Film restoration
Preservation status varies; consult major film archives for holding copies.