Namiko Rokujo

After the Onin War ended in 1477, Kyoto was left in ashes and the nation was in complete disorder. Bands of roving samurai called the "nobushi" terrorized the country under the leadership of Akagaki Genba and overthrew Mangetsu Castle in Tanba Province scattering the few survivors. Lord Niwa's two sons have been studying in China and return to Japan upon hearing of the tragedy in an attempt to restore the clan. On Mt. Oe they meet magician Kiri no Kojiro and try to enlist his aid. With touches of the supernatural and rousing sword-play can they succeed against the evil villains whose symbol is the skull mask?

1949’s TOUMEI NINGEN ARAWARU (THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS/THE TRANSPARENT MAN APPEARS) 透明人間現わる was a monochrome gem with special effects supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. Loosely based on the H.G. Wells 1897 classic novel THE INVISIBLE MAN, the Japanese take on the story, still has a scientist using a special chemical to become invisible. The story begins when jewel thieves becomes interested in an invisibility formula invented by Professor Nakazato. The thieves kidnap the professor and want to use his invention to acquire a diamond necklace called the “Tears of Amour“. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film, as to who is the Invisible Man and why. The Japanese Invisible Man looks just like Universal’s 1933 version played by Claude Rains, with bandages and an overcoat. The formula has the same adverse symptoms which effect the nervous and drive the user insane.