Overview

Among the many famous 16th-century samurai who made the leap from myth and ukiyo-e to early cinema screen was sword-master Miyamoto Musashi, previously depicted in prints by Kiniyoshi Yoshitoshi and others slaying an array of grotesque creatures including giant bats, giant lizards, and the mythical tengu. This imagery informed his first screen depiction in Miyamoto Musashi Taiji No Ba, which showed him combatting the mythic white ape of the mountains.