Kobayashi Issa (1941)

The film uses the haiku of early 19th century poet Kobayashi Issa as its motif to portray the lives of farmers residing deep in the mountains of Nagano. Commissioned by the Nagano Prefectural Department of Tourism, the movie became instead, in the hands of Kamei, a depiction, sometimes ironic, of poverty and the harsh life of the inhabitants of the area. The short movie is often considered Japan’s first “poetic documentary”.

Cast (1)CrewGenresDetailsReleasesMediaAwards

Musei Tokugawa

Narrator (voice)

If you liked Kobayashi Issa, you might also like…

89% match

Naqoyqatsi

2002

89% match

To Kill a Tiger

2023

85% match

McQueen

2018

79% match

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

2006

75% match

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

2017

76% match

Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron

2024

67% match

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me

2023

69% match

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

63% match

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

2013

60% match

In the Realms of the Unreal

2004

60% match

Fuck

2006

60% match

Seduced and Abandoned

2013

60% match

Powaqqatsi

1988

60% match

The Class of ‘92

2013

60% match

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

2019

60% match

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

2003

60% match

Come See Me in the Good Light

2025

60% match

Baraka

1992

60% match

Directed by John Ford

1971

60% match

The Godfather Family: A Look Inside

1990