Sharaku (写楽) 29 years old

Sharaku

The ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist Sharaku is an enigmatic puzzle in the world of Japanese art. Working at an age when such masters of the trade as Hokusai and Utamaro were at their zenith, Sharaku suddenly emerged out of obscurity and produced roughly 140 strikingly brilliant portraits of Kabuki performers, only to disappear just as suddenly. To date, no one knows about his true identity or about his post-ukiyo-e career. Veteran director Masahiro Shinoda tries to fill in the blanks with this lavish period production. Set in the 1790s, the film centers on Tombo (Hiroyuki Sanada), a lowly Kabuki player who gets dumped from his troupe after breaking his foot. He joins a ragged traveling outfit run by former courtesan Okan. While not on-stage, he takes up drawing, for which he realizes he has considerable ability. His talents are noticed by Tsutaya Juzaburo, a ukiyo-e publisher who is desperate for a replacement after his star artist Utamaro defected to his rival's stable.

Credits

Sharaku Cast

Name Character
Hiroyuki Sanada He was 34, now 64 years old
Toshiya Nagasawa He was 33, now 63 years old
Shima Iwashita She was 54, now 83 years old
Shirō Sano He was 40, now 69 years old
Masumi Miyazaki She was 27, now 56 years old
Frankie Sakai He was 66, 67 years old when he died
Naoto Takenaka He was 39, now 68 years old
Naomasa Musaka He was 41, now 70 years old
Eisuke Sasai He was 36, now 65 years old
Tsurutaro Kataoka He was 40, now 69 years old
Yasosuke Bando
Riona Hazuki She was 19, now 49 years old

Sharaku Crew

Name Department
Tatsuo Suzuki as Director of Photography. He was 60 (76) years old when He died Camera
Masahiro Shinoda as Director. He was 64 (now 93) years old Directing
Sharaku poster
Sharaku (29 years)

  • Release day: Friday, June 02, 1995
  • Runtime: 140 minutes