One of my favorite movie series is called "Hibotan Bakuto" meaning Red Peony Gambler. The heroine, O-Ryu, has a tattooed shoulder with red peony flowers and therefore she is called Hibotan O-Ryu. The time is late 19th century / early 20th century, since she had her father killed, she is trying to find the murderer for a revenge. The word Bakuto means gamblers but the word only refers to the ones in the underworld or Yakuza society. As you may or may not know, Japanese Yakuza families can be categorized into a several different origins and one of these categories is Bakuto which means the ones who run and organize gambling business and/or professional gamblers. O-Ryu's family had been scattered because of the death of her father who was the boss. Once a modest, beautiful but an ordinal girl, O-Ryu is now alone and became a professional gambler herself and well trained to fight with a short sword she hides in a flute bag. And she goes on traveling to find and kill her enemy...
Hibotan Bakuto / 1968
There are 8 movies for this series from 1968 throughout to 1972 all starring beautiful Junko Fuji as the heroine Hibotan O-Ryu.
Topics in the Japonica Labels' Hibotan Bakuto introduce not only the details of the series but also O-Ryu's beautiful costume, Kimono, and other tips which may lead you to the depth of the Japanese popular sub-culture!
O-Ryu's Kimono fashion is rather plain but cool. She wears her Kimono in a simple and mono-tone stylish manner but once or so in each film, she shows off her beauty by wearing dressy Kimono as well. My favorite is the Obi belt she usually puts on. It is called Hakata Obi which is a special silk-woven craft product and the design was originally created in Hakata area in Kyushu Island. Colorfully designed and meticulously embroidered Obi belts may be more well known but the fine and cool Hakata Obi design is still very well appreciated in Japan. The craft, Hakata Ori or Hakata fabric, also known as HAKATA JAPAN TM, produces various kinds of accessories and decorations besides Obi belts.
The most standard pattern on Hakata Obi belts is called Dokko pattern. Dokko is an instrument carried by Fudo Myo-Oh or the God of Fire (Acala) and it is still used for Buddhism ceremonies to the present day by the monks. The Hakata's pattern design had been inspired by the shape of the traditional instrument.
Dokko patterned Hakata Obi belts can be as gorgeous as this photo!
Yes, they are Japanese Geisha women in Hakata area participating a local festival.
Obi belts can be tied in various different shapes. How you finish it is one of the most important aspects to decide the style of your Kimono fashion. The Geisha's beautiful Obi tie is called Yanagi (means willow) yet O-Ryu prefers Kohken Musubi or Kohken tie in a mannish way instead. It is, of course, because that she is not a Geisha but a professional Yakuza gambler in a man's man's man's world!
Koken Musubi tie style
In the first movie of the series, O-Ryu finds her enemy and successfully takes a revenge on him. However her journey continues not only because the series became so popular but also she has to reestablish her family.....
Also see a very impressive review of the film in English!
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I look forward to reading your fascinating posts more closely! My Cat Zoya is reading them too, sitting on my lap;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robert and Zoya! I am so lazy that have not posted for quite a long time. I will keep posting, I promise.
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