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The setting for this
love story is a decade or so before Commodore Perry "opened-up" Japan
in 1868, so the conservative nature of a society that had been almost completely
closed off from outside contact for 250 years is self-evident. The ancient
Japanese imperial court still ostensibly ruled in Kyoto, but the real power in
the country had resided in the hands of shoguns for as long as the
"closed-door" policy had been in effect. Therefore, when a young
princess of the imperial court is about to wed her true love, a samurai warrior
(Raizo
Ichikawa), there is no hesitation in calling off the wedding once the Shogun
decides to marry her instead. Broken-hearted, she has to obey, never
relinquishing her feelings for the samurai. But the Shogun does not survive the
troubles of the times, and so the princess has some hope of a reunion with the
samurai - will fate intervene when least expected? This is another 1957 release
featuring the cinematography of Kazuo
Miyagawa and shown at Japan House as part of a series celebrating Miyagawa.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide