Samurai quits the grind, opens fish shop, chaos ensues in Edo tenement life.
Isshin Tasuke, a friend of Ōkubo Hikozōemon, the esteemed public arbitrator of the realm, saved the maid Onatsu from punishment after she accidentally broke a plate gifted by Lord Ieyasu. Tired of the strict samurai service, Tasuke moved to the Genbei tenements and opened a fish shop. This tenement housed various characters, including the landlord's daughter Osen who had a crush on Tasuke, the midwife Okan, the blind masseur Oyone and her husband, the carpenter-loving couple Yoshigorō and Ohama, the rōnin Takeuchi Yogoemon, and the siblings Ochika and Shin'nosuke who cared for their sick mother.
Production
Meticulous Edo-period tenement sets feel lived-in.
Acting
Kōkichi Takada's easy charm anchors the ensemble.
Director
Seiichi Fukuda
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ōkubo Hikozōemon was a real historical figure, famous in folklore for his blunt honesty to shoguns—making his fictional friendship with a fishmonger deliciously subversive.
Director Seiichi Fukuda specialized in 'shomin-geki' (common people drama), and this 1955 release captures post-war Japan's nostalgia for simpler Edo-era communities.
JP
