# Kanto Wanderer

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1963 Japanese film

Kanto Wanderer Directed by Seijun Suzuki Written by Yasutarō Yagi Taiko Hirabayashi (Novel) Produced by Kenzō Asada Starring Akira Kobayashi Chieko Matsubara Daizaburo Hirata Hiroko Itō Cinematography Shigeyoshi Mine Edited by Akira Suzuki Music by Masayoshi Ikeda Distributed by Nikkatsu Release date November 16, 1963 (1963-11-16)[1] Running time 92 minutes Country Japan Language Japanese

***Kanto Wanderer*** (関東無宿, ****Kantō mushuku****; aka ***The Woman Sharper*** and ***Kanto Vagabonds***) is a 1963 [Japanese](/source/Japan) [yakuza film](/source/Yakuza_film) directed by [Seijun Suzuki](/source/Seijun_Suzuki) and starring [Akira Kobayashi](/source/Akira_Kobayashi), [Chieko Matsubara](/source/Chieko_Matsubara), [Daizaburo Hirata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daizaburo_Hirata&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Hiroko Itō](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroko_It%C5%8D&action=edit&redlink=1).[2] It was a [programme picture](/source/B_movie) produced by the [Nikkatsu Company](/source/Nikkatsu) to fill out the second half of a [double bill](/source/Double_feature) with [Shohei Imamura](/source/Shohei_Imamura)'s *[The Insect Woman](/source/The_Insect_Woman)*. The film was based on a novel by [Taiko Hirabayashi](/source/Taiko_Hirabayashi) and had been previously adapted to the screen as *[Song from the Underworld](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Song_from_the_Underworld&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1956) by Suzuki's mentor, [Hiroshi Noguchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroshi_Noguchi_(director)&action=edit&redlink=1). The story involves Katsuta, a [yakuza](/source/Yakuza) member who falls in love and is torn between *[giri](/source/Giri_(Japanese))* (duty) and *[ninjo](/source/Ninj%C5%8D)* (humanity). The [Kanto](/source/Kant%C5%8D_region) of the title refers to a large plain on which [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo) is located.

## Plot

Three schoolgirls are infatuated with a [yakuza](/source/Yakuza), Katsuta, of the Izu Clan. They meet another yakuza, "Diamond" Fuyu, of the rival Yoshida clan. As he gets a [tattoo](/source/Irezumi), two of the girls become squeamish and run off but Hanako, the best friend of the daughter of Sota Izu, boss of the Izu clan, stays to watch. She is intrigued with the yakuza world. Fuyu takes her to an illegal gambling den where Tetsu, a dealer, takes a liking to her. The police raid the den and Hanako is arrested but let off with a warning. Later, Tetsu runs into Hanako on the street and convinces her to help him pull a variant of the [badger game](/source/Badger_game), a scam in which, with the promise of sex, she is to lure a man to a hotel room where Tetsu will extort money from him by threat of [blackmail](/source/Blackmail). The scam fails when the man chases Testu off and Hanako is left stranded with the man.

Katsuta chances upon Tatsuko, a [con artist](/source/Confidence_trick) who he had encountered four years earlier when he had exposed her and her partner in a scam. Her partner had slashed him across the face in their escape and he bore the resulting scar in fond remembrance of her. Word that Hanako has gone missing reaches Katsuta and he inquires as to her whereabouts from Tetsu who feigns ignorance. They search for her without success and end up at a hotel. Katsuta suspects a gambling game there is fixed, but Tetsu insists on partaking and Katsuta follows. He again meets Tatsuko whose husband, Hachi Okaru, is winning the game by looking at the cards in the reflection of a cigarette case. When the others leave Okaru challenges Katsuta to a game and wins again by cheating.

Diamond, who was in hiding with Tatsuko, his sister, emerges and demands to know what happened to Hanako, but Katsuta cannot tell him. Katsuta and Tatsuko fight their feelings for one another. Tensions rise between the Izu and Yoshida clan and Sato Izu begins to suspect Katsuta of disloyalty. Katsuta murders a group of rude gambler parlor attendees. Realizing he has nothing left to lose, he slays his way to a rival boss, demanding he give his fealty to Izu. When Izu is killed by Fuyu making Katsuta's earlier actions moot, Katsuta states his actions were nonetheless honorable.

## Cast

- [Akira Kobayashi](/source/Akira_Kobayashi) as Mitsuo Katsuta

- [Chieko Matsubara](/source/Chieko_Matsubara) as Tokiko Izu

- [Daizaburo Hirata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daizaburo_Hirata&action=edit&redlink=1) as "Diamond" Fuyu

- [Hiroko Itō](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroko_It%C5%8D&action=edit&redlink=1) as Tatsuko Iwata

- [Sanae Nakahara](/source/Sanae_Nakahara) as Hanako Yamada

- [Chikako Shin](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chikako_Shin&action=edit&redlink=1) as Matsue Ichikawa

- [Taiji Tonoyama](/source/Taiji_Tonoyama) as Sota Izu

- [Toru Abe](/source/Toru_Abe) as Dairyu Yoshida

- [Keisuke Noro](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keisuke_Noro&action=edit&redlink=1) as Tetsu Bikkuri

- [Yūnosuke Itō](/source/Y%C5%ABnosuke_It%C5%8D) as Hachi Okaru

## Production

The [Nikkatsu Company](/source/Nikkatsu) assigned *Kanto Wanderer* to contract director [Seijun Suzuki](/source/Seijun_Suzuki). It was his first *[ninkyo eiga](/source/Yakuza_film)*, or chivalry film.[3] It was also a [programme picture](/source/B_movie), a quickly made, low-budget film, designed to be screened after [Shohei Imamura](/source/Shohei_Imamura)'s *[The Insect Woman](/source/The_Insect_Woman)*. *Kanto Wanderer* was based on a [serial](/source/Serial_(literature)) written by [Taiko Hirabayashi](/source/Taiko_Hirabayashi) published in the [Asahi Shimbun](/source/Asahi_Shimbun). [Hiroshi Noguchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroshi_Noguchi_(director)&action=edit&redlink=1), Suzuki's mentor,[4] had previously adapted the story as *[Song from the Underworld](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Song_from_the_Underworld&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1956). Suzuki was apprehensive about remaking a film by Noguchi but his producer [Kenzō Asada](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenz%C5%8D_Asada&action=edit&redlink=1) assured him that it was better a former assistant directed it.[1]

Suzuki accepted the assignment on September 24, 1963, and began [location scouting](/source/Location_scouting) the same day. The studio also assigned [matinée idol](/source/Matinee_idol) [Akira Kobayashi](/source/Akira_Kobayashi) and [Chieko Matsubara](/source/Chieko_Matsubara) to the lead roles. Suzuki and his collaborators had more sway with the remaining parts. They suggested many actress for the role of Tatsuko Iwata, such as [Yoshie Mizutani](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yoshie_Mizutani&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Yukiji Asaoka](/source/Yukiji_Asaoka), but all were turned down. Suzuki argued frequently with the studio on the subject. The studio suggested [Minako Osanai](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minako_Osanai&action=edit&redlink=1), a famous television star, but Suzuki warned them against it as he felt her small face would not carry over to the large screen format. Two days before filming was scheduled to begin, art director [Takeo Kimura](/source/Takeo_Kimura) suggested [Hiroko Itō](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroko_It%C5%8D&action=edit&redlink=1) to Suzuki and she was selected.[1]

Shooting began on October 5, on location in [Shinagawa](/source/Shinagawa%2C_Tokyo). Kobayashi appeared on set wearing what Suzuki later described as [Brezhnevian](/source/Leonid_Brezhnev) artificial eyebrows. A dismayed Asada told Suzuki, "Tell Akira to cut that out."[1] Suzuki suggested they leave them so as not to immediately antagonize Kobayashi and the eyebrows remained. Since the film was to be shown immediately following the main feature, and Suzuki felt that all Nikkatsu films followed the same formula (the lead falls in love, kills the bad guy and "gets the girl"), he familiarized himself with *The Insect Woman's* actors, director and his approach and then approached similar scenes from a different angle in *Kanto Wanderer*. Filming was completed on November 10. The music was completed on the 12th and the [dubbing](/source/Dubbing_(filmmaking)) was done over the 13th and 14th.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Days_of_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Days_of_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Days_of_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Days_of_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Days_of_1-4) [Suzuki, Seijun](/source/Seijun_Suzuki) (January 1991). "In de tijd van KANTŌ MUSHUKU—The Days of KANTŌ MUSHUKU". *De woestijn onder de kersenbloesem—The Desert under the Cherry Blossoms*. Uitgeverij Uniepers Abcoude. pp. 33–40. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [90-6825-090-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/90-6825-090-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** 日活アクションの華麗な世界：1954-1971 第十六章個と侠の相克-裕次郎、旭、錠の任侠アクション p.408-433 冷たく乾いた夢-「関東無宿」「花と怒濤」 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [4624710878](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/4624710878)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Yakuza_Book_3-0)** Schilling, Mark (September 2003). [*The Yakuza Movie Book: A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films*](https://web.archive.org/web/20071017060352/http://stonebridge.com/YAKUZA/yakuza.html). Stone Bridge Press. pp. 229–231. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-880656-76-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-880656-76-0). Archived from [the original](http://www.stonebridge.com/YAKUZA/yakuza.html) on 2007-10-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** In the Japanese studio system, [assistant directors](/source/Assistant_director) joined a group under an individual director, or mentor, and rarely left that group unless the director died or they were dismissed. They were expected to learn the inner workings of the studio and the habits of their mentor as they advanced through a three-tiered system and were eventually promoted to [director](/source/Film_director). The system began to break down through the 1950s and 1960s and had ended by 1975.

## External links

- [*Kanto Wanderer*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057219/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- *[Kanto Wanderer](http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1963/cm003560.htm)* (in Japanese) at the [Japanese Movie Database](/source/Japanese_Movie_Database)

v t e Films directed by Seijun Suzuki Victory Is Mine Eight Hours of Terror The Naked Woman and the Gun Underworld Beauty Young Breasts Voice Without a Shadow Take Aim at the Police Van Everything Goes Wrong Go to Hell, Hoodlums! Man with a Shotgun Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! Youth of the Beast The Bastard Kanto Wanderer The Flower and the Angry Waves Gate of Flesh Our Blood Will Not Forgive Story of a Prostitute Stories of Bastards: Born Under a Bad Star Tattooed Life Carmen from Kawachi Tokyo Drifter Fighting Elegy Branded to Kill A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Zigeunerweisen Kagero-za Capone Cries a Lot Legend of the Gold of Babylon Yumeji Pistol Opera Princess Raccoon

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kanto Wanderer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanto_Wanderer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanto_Wanderer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.