Briar-Rose or the Sleeping Beauty

On her fifteenth birthday the princess finds a diary written by her mother when she was young. The diary tells of the Queen's secret, early love. The Princess goes into the forest to meet her mother's former lover. When she looks into his eyes, she realizes why her mother had fallen in love...

Rennyo and His Mother

Rennyo was the key figure responsible for the restoration of Shin Buddhism in Japan, in particular the Honganji lineage that had a slump in its fortunes during the Middle Ages. According to the legend, his motivation was a pivotal childhood incident at the age of six when his mother summoned him and told him about his destiny to revive the fortunes of the Honganji school to which he was the next in line. She then mysteriously disappeared from the temple. Taking her words to heart, from a background of great poverty and hardship, at the age o...

Anthropo-Cynical Farce

Dog racing is used as a metaphor for the futility of human existence.

The Demon

Two brothers, who are both hunters and live with their mother, go to the mountains to set traps for deer. Suddenly, a demon grabs the younger brother. The older brother shoots an arrow, severing the demon's arm, which they plan to take home. But they make a grisly discovery on the journey home.

Self Portrait

Kawamoto's animated self-portrait.

The Trip

A woman taking a trip encounters a nightmarish landscape juxtaposed against scenes of classical beauty.