Night Drum
夜の鼓
Synopsis
Following a yearlong attendance upon his shogun in Edo, samurai Hikokuro makes a long-awaited return to his home and doting wife, Dane. Initially greeted by the effusive welcome of his family, spiteful whispers also reach his ear about an adulterous affair carried on, in his long absence, between his wife and a famous drummer. With Hikokuro’s honor imperiled by rumor, his family insists on a formal investigation into the veracity of the gossip. Through the combined testimony of many witnesses, a tale unwinds around the visits of a traveling musician hired to tutor the family heir, the spurned attentions of the man who started the rumor, and the ultimate truth behind the accusations. The conclusion of events prove as much an indictment of bushidō as it is of the reluctant parties involved. Adapted from a 1706 play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and based on a true case.
Top Cast
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Rentaro Mikuni
Hikokurô Ogura
Ineko Arima
Otane, Hikokurô's wife
Masayuki Mori
Miyaji, the drum teacher
Sumiko Hidaka
Oyura
Keiko Yukishiro
Tomoko Naraoka
Orin
Emiko Azuma
Kikue Mōri
Shizue Natsukawa
Mannosuke Nakamura
Nobuo Kaneko
Eijirō Tōno
Ichirō Sugai
Yoshi Katō
Taiji Tonoyama
Eijirō Yanagi
Someshō Matsumoto
Jun Hamamura
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Tadashi Imai
- Screenplay & Story
- Kaneto Shindō, Shinobu Hashimoto
- Original Score
- Akira Ifukube
- Original Title
- 夜の鼓
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Production Studios
- Gendai Production, Shochiku
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Tadashi Imai
Kaneto Shindō, Shinobu Hashimoto, Monzaemon Chikamatsu
Akira Ifukube
Shunichirō Nakao
Akikazu Kono
Tengo Yamada
Department Leadership Roster
Tadashi Imai
Director
Akikazu Kono
Editor
Shunichirō Nakao
Director of Photography
Kaneto Shindō
Screenplay
Shinobu Hashimoto
Screenplay
Akira Ifukube
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Night Drum.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Night Drum.
Kinema Junpo - Best Japanese Films (1926-2024) [Imported]
Kinema Junpo Yearly Top 10 Japanese Movies (cumulative)
第93回まで offset of 3 http://www.kinenote.com/main/award/kinejun/
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Frequently Asked Questions About Night Drum
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Night Drum about?
Following a yearlong attendance upon his shogun in Edo, samurai Hikokuro makes a long-awaited return to his home and doting wife, Dane. Initially greeted by the effusive welcome of his family, spiteful whispers also reach his ear about an adulterous affair carried on, in his long absence, between his wife and a famous drummer. With Hikokuro’s honor imperiled by rumor, his family insists on a formal investigation into the veracity of the gossip. Through the combined testimony of many witnesses, a tale unwinds around the visits of a traveling musician hired to tutor the family heir, the spurned attentions of the man who started the rumor, and the ultimate truth behind the accusations. The conclusion of events prove as much an indictment of bushidō as it is of the reluctant parties involved. Adapted from a 1706 play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and based on a true case.
Who directed Night Drum?
Night Drum was directed by Tadashi Imai.
Who stars in Night Drum?
The principal cast of Night Drum includes Rentaro Mikuni, Ineko Arima, Masayuki Mori, Sumiko Hidaka, Keiko Yukishiro.
When was Night Drum released and how long is it?
Night Drum was released in 1958 with a total runtime of 1h 35m.
Who composed the musical score for Night Drum?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Night Drum was composed by Akira Ifukube.