Maple Leaf Viewing (1899)

Plot

In a captivating reel of the Noh play Momiji-gari, Danjuro Ichikawa starred alongside Onoe Kikugoro V, who portrayed an ogress disguised as Princess Sarashina. Shot outdoors on a blustery November day in 1899 by Shibata Tsunekichi, Danjuro insisted on a single take, leading to a memorable moment when his fan was swept away mid-performance, leaving the scene as it was. The film resurfaced at the Kikikan theatre in 1907, where it garnered tremendous acclaim and sparked a surge of fictional filmmaking that drew from traditional Japanese stories.