Momotaro, Japan's No.1

About the production

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Exhibitors around the period slotted Momotaro, Japan's No.1 into mixed bills where shorts, newsreels, and features shared the same program.

Why this film matters

Surviving prints of Momotaro, Japan's No.1 document how its day-era filmmakers solved story problems with limited means.

Making of

Production details for Momotaro, Japan's No.1 are sparse in surviving records. Direction is attributed to Sanae Yamamoto.

What critics said

Press files from the era mention Momotaro, Japan's No.1 in roundup columns of what played that week.

Did you know?

• Directed by Sanae Yamamoto.
• Production country: Japan.
• short film by Sanae Yamamoto

Visual style

Photography follows the early cinema era conventions for animated film staging.

Innovations

Surviving prints help researchers study editing and camera placement typical of the early cinema era.

Music

As a silent production, music was supplied by theater musicians or recorded scores.

What audiences thought

Patrons who saw Momotaro, Japan's No.1 during initial runs judged it alongside other animated film releases of the day.

Film restoration

Preservation status varies; consult major film archives for surviving materials.

Where to watch

• Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sanae%20Yamamoto-%20Momotaro%2C%20Japan's%20No.1%20(1928).ogv