REFCY

Momotaro was an Edo-era folk hero repurposed in the 1930s to align with Japan’s more nationalist viewpoint.  Here, Momotaro seeks revenge on an eagle that disturbed a group of peaceful penguins.

Edo-period samurai Araki Mataemon and his brother-in-law Watanabe Kazuma seek revenge on Kawai Matagoro. Paper film produced using celuloid from Araki Mataemon: Master Swordsman (Kumahiko Nishina, Japan, 1935)

Skiers enjoy a variety of slopes. Paper film, celuloid source unknown.

While on an evening walk, Ohei is ambushed by legendary bandits from Japanese history and mythology, such as the legendary Monk Sohei and a three-eyed oni.

A girl purchases some flowers and a fairy offers to enchant them. The girl follows the fairy’s instructions, and plants the flowers. The next day, the flowers grow into small characters and start dancing, to the amusement of the girl and the animals nearby.

Reffie goes to an observatory and notices that the face of the moon is sticking its tongue out at him. As revenge, Reffie crashes a rocket into the moon, turning the moon into a crescent moon.

Documentary footage of indigenous Pacific islanders.

A bear and a tiger race for a treasure chest.

A dog named Norakuro accidentally strands his friend on a hot air balloon and tries different ways to save him.  Based on the manga character by Suihō Tagawa.

Sacchan inflates a balloon that turns into a living tanuki (raccoon dog).  Based on the manga character by Suihō Tagawa.

The film depicts live action footage of seagulls with a timelapse of an egg hatching.

The Unbeatable Ohei helps a kappa whose head dish (“sara”) was stolen. Ohei defeats several bandits while the kappa reclaims its stolen dish.

When a monkey samurai kills a crab samurai, the crab’s child takes revenge with the help of friends.  Based on an Edo period folktale.

Several tanuki drum their bellies but one skinny tanuki cannot belly drum.  He finds a pump, inflates himself, and flies away like a balloon into the city, finally landing on a statue of samurai Saigō Takamori.

Ohei is brought to the lake where the kappa reside.  The kappa king announces there will be a celebration for Ohei and the kappa celebrate with drums and dancing.

Tonkichi flies through the sky on a plane but finds himself stranded on an island with different wildlife.

A young boy named Reffie disregards a “No Fishing” sign, dives into the water, and fights an octopus.

Ponsuke laments over his inability to shapeshift.  After helping some chickens, he discovers a book on shapeshifting.  Based on the 1934 character by animator Ikuo Oishi.

A group of tanuki celebrate the moonrise while a rabbit on the face of the moon makes mochi in this nod to the folktale, “The Rabbit on the Moon.”