2022
“Ako Castle” Where the Story of 47 Samurai Began
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TOURISM DESTINATIONS CITIES Promotional Film
Synopsis
There is a very well-known story called “Chushingura” in Japan. It is the story of 47 samurai who gave their lives to avenge the honor of their lord. It inspired over 4,000 ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Performed on stage over 7,000 times in various genres. More than 300 years later, the story continues to inspire novelists and filmmakers. Ako Castle is where the story began. The 47 samurai were the retainers of the Ako clan. The video starts off with this side story, then focuses on the characteristics, the structure of the castle, and the financial support achieved by innovative salt production.
| Country | Japan |
Client |
Ako City (Hyogo prefecture, Japan) |
| Production Company |
curioswitch Inc. |
| Agency | curioswitch Inc. |
Goals of the film
“The video was commissioned by Ako City, with a request for it to be artistic rather than too educational. The video was shot by a renowned photographer: Daisuke Akita in order to create photogenic scenes and features a fashion model as part of the scenery. Takeshi Ushiyama composed the soundtrack. Ako Castle is a castle built over 400 years ago, but it no longer exists in its original form apart from stone walls and partially re-erected buildings. This makes it difficult to convey the characteristics and the uniqueness of the castle to the visitors, as most of the structures cannot be seen anymore. The challenge was to tell the story behind the castle without using computer graphics or archive photos. Computer graphics was not an option as there was no precise record of the structure, and archive
photos do not exist as it was destroyed over 150 years ago. “
Target Group
Produced as part of a permanent exhibition at the small museum inside the castle, for international audiences of all generations.
