Sengoku Jieitai (1979 film)
Encyclopedia
is a 1979 Japanese feature length film focusing on the adventures of a modern day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
(JGSDF) team that accidentally travels in time to the . The film stars one of the top male Japanese actor Sonny Chiba
and was based on a novel by Ryo Hanmura
, a well-known writer of historical novels and science fiction.
, a patrol boat and a helicopter suddenly find themselves stranded 400 years in the past and under attack by samurai
forces. Their designated leader, Lieutenant Yoshiaki Iba (Sonny Chiba), befriends and joins forces with Nagao Kagetora
, the war leader of lord Koizumi. Seeing the stranded soldiers' war machinery in action, Kagetora persuades Iba to aid him in his struggle for supremacy in Japan.
In the meantime, however, Iba finds himself facing the desperation of his men who want to return to their own time. Some make contact with the locals - one of the soldiers, Mimura, even finds himself a consort who keeps following him - whilst others freak out, running away in a desperate attempt to return home, or rebelling against rules and restrictions and try to live a pirate's life. Finally, his force shrunk from 21 men to 11, Iba manages to calm his troops by telling them that by fighting history and thus creating a time paradox they might be able to return home. Iba joins Kagetora and fights by his side.
Finally, Iba and the soldiers face Takeda Shingen
's forces in battle. But their trust in their advanced weaponry costs them dearly: Shingen's forces outmaneouver them at every turn, the soldiers lose all their vehicles and major weapons, and five of them die on the battlefield. In a desperate attempt, Iba forces his way to Shingen's command post and kills him in a sword duel.
As Iba and his remaining men go to join Kagetora in Kyoto
, the latter is put under pressure by his family and the Shogun
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
to get rid of Iba. Reluctantly conceding, Kagetora intercepts Iba's group at an old temple. But as Iba prepares to kill Kagetora for his betrayal, he is shot by him. The other soldiers are killed by Kagetora's archers, and Mimura's consort delivers the coup-de-grace to her lover.
Kagetora shows remorse by burying Iba and his men with all due honors. In the end, only one of the soldiers survives, who had left the group to help a boy and his family, whose father had been killed.
(JGSDF) for props and vehicles, but the army cut their support after reading that soldiers go AWOL in the script. For that reason, old and sometimes out-dated equipment (like M3 submachine guns) had to be used. The tank featured in the movie was even built entirely from scratch.
The vehicles, including a tank and a helicopter, continue to run despite there being no replenishing fuel supply in the 16th century – a logical problem which was resolved in the remake
.
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
(JGSDF) team that accidentally travels in time to the . The film stars one of the top male Japanese actor Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
and was based on a novel by Ryo Hanmura
Ryo Hanmura
Ryō Hanmura was a Japanese science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. His name is alternatively transliterated as Ryo Hammura. He won the Naoki Prize for his 1975 novel Amayadori...
, a well-known writer of historical novels and science fiction.
Plot
On their way to a maneuver, a wildly mixed group of Japanese soldiers with a tank, an APCArmoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
, a patrol boat and a helicopter suddenly find themselves stranded 400 years in the past and under attack by samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
forces. Their designated leader, Lieutenant Yoshiaki Iba (Sonny Chiba), befriends and joins forces with Nagao Kagetora
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
, the war leader of lord Koizumi. Seeing the stranded soldiers' war machinery in action, Kagetora persuades Iba to aid him in his struggle for supremacy in Japan.
In the meantime, however, Iba finds himself facing the desperation of his men who want to return to their own time. Some make contact with the locals - one of the soldiers, Mimura, even finds himself a consort who keeps following him - whilst others freak out, running away in a desperate attempt to return home, or rebelling against rules and restrictions and try to live a pirate's life. Finally, his force shrunk from 21 men to 11, Iba manages to calm his troops by telling them that by fighting history and thus creating a time paradox they might be able to return home. Iba joins Kagetora and fights by his side.
Finally, Iba and the soldiers face Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
's forces in battle. But their trust in their advanced weaponry costs them dearly: Shingen's forces outmaneouver them at every turn, the soldiers lose all their vehicles and major weapons, and five of them die on the battlefield. In a desperate attempt, Iba forces his way to Shingen's command post and kills him in a sword duel.
As Iba and his remaining men go to join Kagetora in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the latter is put under pressure by his family and the Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
was the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun....
to get rid of Iba. Reluctantly conceding, Kagetora intercepts Iba's group at an old temple. But as Iba prepares to kill Kagetora for his betrayal, he is shot by him. The other soldiers are killed by Kagetora's archers, and Mimura's consort delivers the coup-de-grace to her lover.
Kagetora shows remorse by burying Iba and his men with all due honors. In the end, only one of the soldiers survives, who had left the group to help a boy and his family, whose father had been killed.
Shōwa period characters
- Sonny ChibaSonny Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
: Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Yoshiaki Iba - Mancho Tsuji: Ensign Shōichirō Ono
- Raita Ryu: Haruhisa Kimura
- Shinichiro Mikami: Goichi Shimada
- Tadashi Kato: Sergeant First Class Hideo Shimizu
- Tsunehiko WataseTsunehiko Wataseis a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Japan Academy Prize for The Incident and at the 3rd Hochi Film Award for The Incident, Kōtei no inai hachigatsu and The Fall of Ako Castle...
: Hayato Yano - Hiroshi Kamayatsu: Mokichi Nemoto
- Jinya Sato: Osamu Seki
- Kokontei Shinkoma: Kenji Hori
- Jun EtoJun Etowas a Japanese literary critic, active in the Shōwa and early Heisei period Japan.- Early life :Etō was born in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo; his father was a banker, and his grandfather was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His mother died when he was four years old, and always sickly...
: Ken Nobuhiko - Yoichi Miura: Manabu Nonaka
- Akira Nishikino: Koji Kikuchi
- Hiromitsu Suzuki: Gō Nishizawa
- Koji Naka: Taisuke Mimura
- Ryo Hayami: Kazumichi Morishita
- Takuzo Kadono: Seaman 1st Class Toshishige Suga
- Isao Kuraishi: Masao Maruoka
- Kenzo Kawarazaki: Koji Kano
- Ken TakahashiKen Takahashiis a Japanese professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. He also played for them in - & the New York Mets in .Takahashi was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. On February 6, , Takahashi declared himself a free agent and expressed his desire to play in Major League Baseball...
: Masayoshi Hirai - Akihiro Shimizu: Satoshi Ōnishi
- Toshitaka Ito: Seaman 1st Class Harumi Takashima
- Nana Okada: Kazuko Arai
- Hiroshi Katsuno: Track Coach
Sengoku period characters
- Isao Natsuyagi: Nagao KagetoraUesugi Kenshinwas a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
- Haruki KadokawaHaruki Kadokawais a Japanese publisher, film producer, director and screenwriter. He was the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa and inherited the position of president of the publishing house Kadokawa Shoten in 1975. Under his guidance, the company soon branched into film production, and by 1994 Kadokawa had produced close...
: Sanada MasayukiSanada Masayukiwas a Japanese Sengoku period daimyo. He was the third son of Sanada Yukitaka, a vassal daimyo to the Takeda family in Shinano province. He is known as a master strategist. Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Yukimura were his sons.-Biography:... - Hitoshi Omae: Kuribayashi Magoichi
- Kentaro KudoKentaro Kudois a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Kunohe District, Iwate and graduate of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993 as a member of Japan Renewal Party after...
: Ishiba Takehide - Katsumasa Uchida: Asaba Yorichika
- Goro Kataoka: Tategawa Katsuzō
- Asao Koike: Koizumi Yukinaga
- Shin KishidaShin KishidaShin Kishida was a Japanese actor, best known for his memorable supporting roles in films and television series.-Biography:...
: Naoe Bungo - Hirohisa Nakata: Kuroda Naoharu
- Hiroshi Tanaka: Takeda ShingenTakeda Shingen, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
- Hiroyuki SanadaHiroyuki Sanadais a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good...
: Takeda KatsuyoriTakeda Katsuyoriwas a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku Period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was the son of Shingen by the , the daughter of Suwa Yorishige... - Hiroko YakushimaruHiroko Yakushimaruis a Japanese actress and vocalist.After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who made debut after a similar process, she was often described as one of "Kadokawa Sannimusume" in her early...
: Young Takeda Samurai - Gajiro Sato: Foot Soldier
- Mikio Narita: KōsaKosa, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo , was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki , during its siege at the end of the Sengoku Period...
- Mizuho SuzukiMizuho Suzuki' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Manchuria. He is a drop-out of Kyoto University.-Film:*Dun-Huang *Kaabee *Makai Tensho...
: Shogun Ashikaga YoshiakiAshikaga Yoshiakiwas the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun.... - Masashi Ishibashi: Hosokawa FujitakaHosokawa Fujitakawas a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. Also known as '. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shoguns. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango. His son, Hosokawa Tadaoki, went on to become one of the Oda clan's senior generals.After the...
- Miyuki Ono: Miwa
- Masao Kusakari: Masakichi
- Ryudo Uzaki: Ochimusha
- Ayako Honma: Old Woman
- Koji Iizuka: Shokichi
- Maiko Ōtsuka: Mai
- Kaori Taniguchi: Shokichi & Mai's Mother
- Noboru Nakaya: Yoshitaka Kujo
- Moeko Ezawa: Widow Yui
Equipment
Initially, the producers approached the Japan Ground Self-Defense ForceJapan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
(JGSDF) for props and vehicles, but the army cut their support after reading that soldiers go AWOL in the script. For that reason, old and sometimes out-dated equipment (like M3 submachine guns) had to be used. The tank featured in the movie was even built entirely from scratch.
The vehicles, including a tank and a helicopter, continue to run despite there being no replenishing fuel supply in the 16th century – a logical problem which was resolved in the remake
Sengoku Jieitai 1549
or Samurai Commando Mission 1549 is a feature-length film and manga series focusing on the adventures of a modern day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force element that accidentally travels through time to the Warring States period of Japanese history.Both the film and manga are based on Sengoku Jieitai...
.
Adaptations
- A film remake in 2005 was titled Sengoku Jieitai 1549Sengoku Jieitai 1549or Samurai Commando Mission 1549 is a feature-length film and manga series focusing on the adventures of a modern day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force element that accidentally travels through time to the Warring States period of Japanese history.Both the film and manga are based on Sengoku Jieitai...
. - A 4-episode series called Sengoku Jieitai: Sekigahara no TatakaiSengoku Jieitai: Sekigahara no Tatakaiis a 2006 television series mainly based on the Sengoku Jieitai movie in 1979 and the 2005 movie Sengoku Jieitai 1549. Its director, Mitsumasa Saito, had been involved in the creation of the Sengoku Jietai 1979 movie.-Plot:...
was aired in 2006 by NTVNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
.
Name of the movie in different languages
- Japanese: "Sengoku Jieitai"
- English: "G.I. Samurai"
- Spanish: "Eclipse En El Tiempo"
- Croatian: "Vrijeme je stalo u 5 i 18"
- German: "Time Slip - Tag der Apokalypse"
- Norwegian: "Tidsstorm"
- Russian: "Провал во времени"
See also
- The Final Countdown (film)
- Axis of TimeAxis of TimeThe Axis of Time trilogy is an alternate history series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham, from Macmillan Publishing.-Plot:...
- Zipang (anime)Zipang (anime)is a twenty-six episode Japanese anime television series directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and produced by Studio Deen. It aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan from late 2004 to early 2005, and was licensed for release in North America by Geneon Entertainment with DVD release starting in...
- Red Shift (novel)Red Shift (novel)Red Shift is a fantasy novel by Alan Garner. It spans over a thousand years but one geographical area: Southern Cheshire, England. Garner evokes the essence of place, allowing his characters to echo each other through time, as if their destinies may be predefined by the soil on which they walk...
- Heavenly Soldiers