The Song Lantern (1943)

• 69%
• 1943
• Drama
• Mikio Naruse
• Shōtarō Hanayagi
• Eijirō Yanagi
• Ichijirō Oya

The head of an acclaimed Noh (traditional, stylised Japanese drama form) troupe has a son whom he wants to inherit the troupe/ school. Touring in the provinces, the son seeks out a famed local amateur singer of Noh, a blind masseur. The arrogant son asks the local to sing a Noh song. By disrupting his singing, the son humiliates the overconfident local, who commits suicide. The shocked father then disowns his son and forbids him to practise Noh. The son becomes a lantern singer, using folk singing to solicit money from bars. The Noh troupe goes downhill without him. Meanwhile, the daughter of the masseur is sold by her stepmother to a brothel but is rescued and becomes an apprentice geisha (hostess/ escort). Without musical talent, she struggles, but is helped by the son who, hearing about her and racked with guilt about her father, teaches her to dance in expiation. She dances by chance for the head of the Noh school, who is on tour again, hears the story and forgives his son. Son and girl marry.