Kihachiro Kawamoto
The plot concerns a sheltered aristocratic woman in feudal Japan. Bored and unfamiliar with the world outside her estate, she passes the time copying a special Buddhist sutra sent by her father who has been absent on official business for years. While gazing out her window one late afternoon, the setting sun creates a vision of a holy figure in the distant mountains.
Winter Days is a 2003 animated film, directed by Kihachirō Kawamoto. It is based on one of the renku (collaborative linked poems) in the 1684 collection of the same name by the 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō. The creation of the film followed the traditional collaborative nature of the source material – the visuals for each of the 36 stanzas were independently created by 35 different animators. As well as many Japanese animators, Kawamoto assembled leading names of animation from across the world. Each animator was asked to contribute at least 30 seconds to illustrate their stanza, and most of the sequences are under a minute (Yuriy Norshteyn's, though, is nearly two minutes long).
A short film based on a story by Japanese writer Kenji Miyazawa in which two young British hunters get lost in the woods and discover a strange restaurant. Are the hunters about to discover how it feels to be hunted?
On her fifteenth birthday the princess finds a diary written by her mother when she was young. The diary tells of the Queen's secret, early love. The Princess goes into the forest to meet her mother's former lover. When she looks into his eyes, she realizes why her mother had fallen in love...
An animated film compiled by David Ehrlich consisting of 27 animators from different countries all explaining themselves through their animation.
Ji Chang wants to be the best archer in the world. He seeks out a master who is able, at a distance, to shoot a single leaf off a tree. Over several years, the apprentice studies with the master. Finally, after mastering the techniques, as well as his own ambition, he sets off for the mountains, home of a legendary master of archery...
Rennyo was the key figure responsible for the restoration of Shin Buddhism in Japan, in particular the Honganji lineage that had a slump in its fortunes during the Middle Ages. According to the legend, his motivation was a pivotal childhood incident at the age of six when his mother summoned him and told him about his destiny to revive the fortunes of the Honganji school to which he was the next in line. She then mysteriously disappeared from the temple. Taking her words to heart, from a background of great poverty and hardship, at the age of 16 he set out to spread the word across the land.
Through puppets and animation, a traveler tells his story of walking through Settsu, coming to the town of Ikuta. He asks if someone can show him the Seeker's Mound. Late that day, a solitary maiden says she will lead him there.
A man who is on a pilgrimage spends the night with a woman. After they share a moment of passion, he runs away and she chases him.
A cautionary tale about workers who are neglected, lose hope, and fade away while businessmen prosper by selling out to foreign countries. As the greed of the businessmen escalates, the economy collapses, and a young man becomes a poet and gives the people hope.
Two Brothers, who are both hunters and live with their mother, go to the mountains to set traps for deer. Suddenly, a demon grabs the younger brothers. The older brother shoots and arrow, severing the demon's arm, which they plan to take home. But they make an grisly discovery on the journey home.
Dog racing is used as a metaphor for the futility of human existence.
The head monk orders a young acolyte to guard a beautiful cherry tree in the monastery garden while he goes out. But the older man underestimates his colleague’s fondness for sake.
