is a 1981

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

co-directed by

Kinji Fukasaku was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...

and

Koreyoshi Kurahara (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and director. He is perhaps best known for directing ''Nankyoku Monogatari, Antarctica'' (1983), which won several awards and was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film ...

. A Kurahara-directed sequel titled '' Seishun no mon: Jiritsu hen'' (青春の門自立篇, lit. ''The Gate of Youth: Part 2'') was released in 1982. Both films are based on a story by Hiroyuki Itsuki that was originally serialized in the magazine ''

Shūkan Gendai is a general-interest weekly magazine published by Kodansha in Tokyo, Japan. History and profile ''Shūkan Gendai'' was started in 1959. The magazine has its headquarters in Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital o ...

'' from 1969–70 before being picked up by

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

and published as a series of novels (continuing publication intermittently until 1994, and again in 2017 after a 23-year hiatus). The same story inspired a 1975 film of the same name, which itself received a 1977 sequel (also titled ''Seishun no mon: Jiritsu hen''), as well as three separate television productions in 1976-77 ( TBS), 1991 (

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.TBS celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new version of "Seishun no Mon" and more
Japan Times, March 20, 2005. Accessed 06-03-2009. ''The Gate of Youth'' stars Kōichi Satō as protagonist Shinsuke Ibuki in his feature film debut, in addition to

Bunta Sugawara was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 200 feature films. Dropping out of Waseda University, he worked as a model before entering the film industry in 1956. After years of work, Sugawara finally established himself as a famous actor at the ...

, Keiko Matsuzaka, Kaoru Sugita (also her feature film debut) and

Tomisaburo Wakayama , born Masaru Okumura (奥村勝),Leous, G. (''c.'' 2003)Tomisaburo WakayamaRetrieved on May 23, 2010. was a Japanese actor best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling '' ronin'' warrior in the six ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' samurai films.Stout ...

. Toei theatrically released the film on January 15, 1981, in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Plot

Shinsuke Ibuki ( Kōichi Satō) is the son of a miner working at Chikuo coalfield near Mt. Kaharu, northwest of Tagawa, Fukuoka. His widowed father Juzo (

) is nicknamed "Spider", so-called for his large tattoo. Juzo is a natural leader looked up to by the other miners. When the miners go on strike, Imperial soldiers are brought in with live rounds and fixed bayonets to force them back to work. Juzo uses his skill with

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...

to create a diversion and prevent the troops from firing on the miners. In 1938, when his son is three years old, Juzo buys freedom for Tae ( Keiko Matsuzaka), a woman at the local brothel, and takes her to be his wife. Shinsuke comes to accept Tae as his real mother. However, this angers Ryugoro Hanawa (

), boss of the Hanawa

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

gang and patron of Tae. The two fight over her, but the fight is broken up. Despite their opposition, Juzo and Hanawa gain a begrudging respect for one another. Juzo makes Hanawa promise that, in the event of Juzo's passing, Hanawa will take care of Shinsuke and Tae. He also leaves a gun for Shinsuke in case of emergency. While planning a rematch against Hanawa's men, Juzo and his team hear that the mine has flooded. Juzo orders everyone to assist in the rescue efforts. He discovers that 30

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

miners have been trapped by the flood. His Japanese comrades are willing to let the trapped miners die as they are "only Koreans." But Juzo does not accept this. He blasts part of the tunnel to save them. All 30 Korean miners are saved, but Juzo dies in the blast. In the ensuing chaos, some miners appear to be shot, though the culprits are unknown. Shinsuke thus grows up in poverty. His beautiful stepmother rejects all offers of becoming a mistress or re-marrying, as she is faithful to Juzo's memory. As the war drags on, she begins to work in the mines with the other women. The miners continue to suffer, with all attempts to gain fair pay dismissed as "

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

". Meanwhile, Hanawa is drafted into the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

and stationed in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. He eventually returns, re-forms his gang and becomes a wealthy man who owns several establishments in the region. Six years after the death of his father, in 1944, Tae kicks Shinsuke out of the house when he and his friends gang up on a Korean boy named Kumana. He later visits Kumana alone and challenges him to a duel, which ends in a draw. Kumana's father Kanayama Shuretsu ( Tsunehiko Watase), de facto leader of the Korean miners, whose real name is Kim Chu-ryol, breaks up the confrontation. He then tells Shinsuke and Tae that Juzo saved his life in the mine collapse six years earlier. He gives them a large portion of meat as a gift. Through this incident, Shinsuke learns to treat the Koreans with humanity. Tae develops feelings for Mr. Kanayama, but he is abruptly drafted into the war. While this is going on, Shinsuke develops feelings for his friend and classmate Orie ( Kaoru Sugita). However, he is too young to understand these feelings and does not initially act on them. When the war ends, the miners tie up a mine manager, who confesses that soldiers shot miners trying to escape from the collapse years earlier. Around the same time, Mr. Kanayama returns from the war and meets with Tae. Despite her feelings, she rejects him, though they remain friends. In the interim, Hanawa has become a mentor to Shinsuke. Hanawa lets Shinsuke ride on the back of his

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with i ...

motorcycle. He also gives Tae some money and invites them to live with him in Iizuka, but Tae refuses. She also rejects an offer to become the mistress of one of her superiors at the mine. Eventually, the Korean miners enter the mine office and demand equal pay to the Japanese miners. When the police are called in, a riot ensues. Hanawa, now owner of the mine, brings in additional men to fight the miners. Mr. Kanayama injures Hanawa during the fight, and then hides in Tae's house. When the other miners arrive to turn him in to the police, Tae gives Kanayama the gun that Juzo left behind, allowing him to escape. Later, Tae begins coughing up blood. It is revealed that she has contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

from working in the mine. Hanawa helps her, but she is eventually put into a hospital to treat her condition. She remains there for several years. As a result, Shinsuke moves to Iizuka, where he lives with Hanawa and attends school. Shinsuke is scouted by baseball coach Mr. Hirano in 1950, just as he is about to enter high school. A year later, Shinsuke's childhood friend Orie and her mother (Taeko Shinbashi) visit Tae in the hospital. Shinsuke arrives on a motorcycle given to him by Hanawa, but instead of letting Orie ride with him, he takes his music teacher Ms. Azusa (Hitomi Kageyama), whom he has a crush on, to a record store in Hakata. By 1953, Hanawa once again offers to marry Tae, but she rejects his proposal. Ms. Azusa quits and returns to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Shinsuke visits Orie, who is now working as a bar hostess and

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

Kokura is an ancient Jōkamachi, castle town and the center of modern Kitakyushu, Japan. Kokura is also the name of the Kokura Station, penultimate station on the southbound San'yō Shinkansen line, which is owned by JR West. Ferries connect Kokura ...

. She tells him that her mother recently passed away. His motorcycle is stolen, so he and Orie stay at a hotel where she sometimes brings clients. Orie takes Shinsuke's virginity, then encourages him to leave his past behind and go to university in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Hanawa is shot in the knee. His gang suspects that the Korean miners are responsible. While investigating, Chota ( Nenji Kobayashi), one of Hanawa's gang members, shoots at Hanawa and Shinsuke but is captured. It is revealed that Chota was attempting to frame the Koreans in order to start a gang war. Mr. Kanayama confirms that the Koreans were not responsible for the shooting. Hanawa and Shinsuke take Chota back with them for punishment. That same night, Tae dies. Her death and Chota's act of violence finally convince Shinsuke to go to Tokyo. In the end, he writes a goodbye letter to Hanawa and rides away.

Cast

Production

''The Gate of Youth'' is based on a serialized story by Hiroyuki Itsuki. It was originally adapted by Kirio Urayama for

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

in 1975. Urayama’s version was a box office success and spawned a 1977 sequel. However, there were major creative differences between author Itsuki and director Urayama, which prevented production on the third installment. In May 1979, Itsuki visited Toei president Shigeru Okada and requested that his company take over production of the series. Itsuki's only condition was that

Ken Takakura , born , was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Pri ...

should star as Juzo Ibuki, as he had directly inspired the character. The project initially struggled to get off the ground, due to the recency of the previous adaptation. Production was eventually scheduled to begin in late 1980, with a release date set for January 15, 1981, as Toei had an open slot to fill in that month. By that time, Takakura had already been booked to star in Yasuo Furuhata's ''

Station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

''. The producers offered Takakura the role anyway, but he flatly refused, saying "I can't take responsibility for a hastily put together major production." He also stated "I don't want to do rushed work." Eventually, it was agreed that

could play the role of Juzo, and Toei rushed to put ''The Gate of Youth'' into production. Co-producer Gorô Kusakabe asked Tatsuo Nogami to write the script. Though Nogami had a busy schedule due to his work on '' Hissatsu'', he agreed to Kusakabe's offer and hurriedly wrote the screenplay. Nogami recommended

, with whom he had worked on the ''Hissatsu'' series, as director. Kurahara accepted, as he had a gap in his schedule due to a previous project falling through. Kurahara also participated in the scriptwriting, though he was uncredited for his work. Due to the scope of the project and Toei's insistence on hitting the pre-set release date, Kurahara suggested a two-man system for directing, as Kurahara did not believe that he alone could complete the work in time. He suggested

, whose previous film ''

Virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

'' had been a large flop, and whose in-development project '' The Miracle of Joe Petrel'' had recently fallen apart, for the co-director slot. Fukasaku accepted. It was determined that Kurahara would direct the dramatic scenes, while Fukasaku would handle the action sequences. Fukasaku and Kurahara had been friends since their undergrad days at

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice, in 1889. The university's name is derived from the Ja ...

, and their collaboration went smoothly. The central role of Shinsuke Ibuki went to Kōichi Satō in his feature film debut. Many actresses screen-tested for the roles of Orie and Tae. Kaoru Sugita, at the time 16 years of age, would secure the role of Orie, also her feature film debut. However, Itsuki specifically requested Keiko Matsuzaka for the role of Tae. Matsuzaka was one of the most popular actresses in Japan at that time, and she had an exclusive contract with

Shochiku is a Japanese entertainment company. Founded in 1895, it initially managed '' kabuki'' theaters in Kyoto; in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and establis ...

. Kusakabe made three requests to Shochiku, at one point kneeling on the ground to beg. Finally, Toei president Okada went to Shochiku. He and Shochiku president Ryuzo Otani came to an agreement, deciding that Matsuzaka would be loaned to Toei for only one film, which would be ''The Gate of Youth''. This news was announced by Okada at Toei's headquarters on November 17, 1980. When later asked about the role, Matsuzaka said "I saw Sayuri Yoshinaga do it at Toho and thought it was a wonderful role, and if I could play it, I'd be honored, and it's a role that any actress would want to play. If it's made into a movie, I definitely want to be in it...It took a long time for it to be decided, and I waited anxiously for over a month. I was shooting ''Sekigahara'' on location at Lake Motosu, and I accidentally left my wireless microphone on when I went into the bathroom...everyone could hear...I was so nervous about whether ''Gate of Youth'' would be decided, that I was kind of absent-minded." Shooting began three days after the announcement of Matsuzaka's casting, on November 20, 1980. Matsuzaka and Fukasaku's first day on set was November 25. Filming wrapped by the end of December. The filming time of only a month was considered unusually fast for a major production. Asked about working with Fukasaku, Matsuzaka said "He never flattered me and he was a bit difficult to approach, but once we got to know each other, he was very kind and it was very easy to work with him. The shooting schedule was very tight, so I felt like I was caught up in a heated whirlpool and I was completely absorbed in my work." She also said "When I was ctingsad, I tended to make my face look more exaggerated than most people. This time, director Fukasaku saw through me right away, and it was somehow refreshing. He is a really wonderful person. He understands women so well that I wonder why he has not made any films about women before." Matsuzaka worked with Fukasaku again seven years later on '' A Chaos of Flowers''. Post-production was completed on January 6, 1981, a little over a week before the film was set to release.

Marketing

At a meeting with industry reporters at the

Ginza Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...

Toyu Club on December 15, 1980, Toei president Okada was quoted as saying "The values of movies have changed now. The theme of movies being art or entertainment is only applicable to a certain number of critics. Whether a movie becomes a hit with the general public depends not on how good the film is, but on whether it has the elements to become an event...for 'Gate of Youth'' Matsuzaka Keiko was borrowed from Shochiku in order to make it an event. ''Gate of Youth'' is partnering with

and will have 200 million yen in advertising costs...in '81 I intend to focus on being an event planner, not a producer." Despite the size of its marketing budget, the film's promotional period was short, causing concern over its box office potential. However, Kodansha, the publisher of Itsuki's series, actively promoted the film, placing full-page advertisements in the

Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...

and many local newspapers. Itsuki gave magazine and radio interviews, while Matsuzaka also participated in the three-week nationwide ad campaign. ''The Gate of Youth'' included Matsuzaka's first sex scene, which was utilized by the promotional team. Toei upper management insisted that no nude photos of Matsuzaka be distributed to the media until 1981, when they were released all at once, causing a stir.

Release

Toei theatrically released ''The Gate of Youth'' on January 15, 1981 in 173 theaters. It was a hit at the box office. Within 36 days, it had grossed ¥820 million, outperforming the original film. When Kōichi Satō saw the film in theaters with his own image projected on the screen, it strengthened his resolve to make acting his full-time profession.

Awards

Kōichi Satō won the 5th

Japan Academy Film Prize The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...

for Newcomer of the Year and the 24th Blue Ribbon Award for Best Newcomer for his work in the film. For her performance, Keiko Matsuzaka earned the 5th Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actress, also awarded for her work in '' Tora-san's Love in Osaka''. She also won the 24th Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress (which, like the Japan Academy Film Prize, was also awarded for her performance in ''Tora-san's Love in Osaka'').

Sequel

A direct sequel, '' The Gate of Youth: Part 2'', directed solely by Kurahara, was released a year later.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gate Of Youth 1981 films Films directed by Kinji Fukasaku Films directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara 1981 in Japanese cinema 1980s Japanese films 1980s Japanese-language films Japanese drama films Films set in 1938 Films set in 1940 Films set in 1942 Films set in 1944 Films set in 1945 Films set in 1950 Films set in 1952 Films set in 1953 Films set in Fukuoka Prefecture Films about mining Yakuza films