Sansho the Bailiff (1954) – Filming Locations
Drama · Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi · Starring Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kinuyo Tanaka
In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.
Where was Sansho the Bailiff filmed?
- Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto – Opening scenes of the family's journey through rural Heian-period landscapes. Mizoguchi used Kyoto's historic temples and bamboo groves to evoke the Heian period setting, though the story is set in an earlier era
- Nara, Japan, Nara – Scenes depicting the family's arrival at the slave labor compound and their enslavement. The rural landscape around Nara provided the isolated setting for the Sansho estate where the family is enslaved
- Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, Hiroshima – Scenes of forced labor, peasant work, and the harsh conditions of the estate. Mizoguchi filmed extensive location sequences in rural Hiroshima to authentically portray the hardship and bondage experienced by the family