The military march that marched Japan into war — and the man who couldn't stop it.
A biographical film chronicling the life of composer Setoguchi Tōkichi (1868-1941) from his early days as a clarinetist in the Imperial Japanese Navy band to his later years when his music, in particular the famed “Warship March” (Gunkan kōshinkyoku), surged in popularity.
Acting
Takizawa's haunted eyes as his creation escapes him.
Direction
Fushimizu stages military spectacle with disturbing reverence.
Score
The march itself — you'll never hear it the same way.
Director
Osamu Fushimizu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Warship March remains Japan's unofficial second national anthem; this 1938 film was itself wartime propaganda, released months before Japan's major Pacific offensives.
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