Senga Tsubo (1925)

Senga Tsubo / 線畫 つぼ (The Pot in English) is an early Japanese anime film directed by Sanae Yamamoto. Sanae Yamamoto was a significant figure in early Japanese anime production and direction. He played a key role in the development of pre-war Japanese animation and contributing to the start of Toei Animation. This silent animated movie was released in 1925. It was the first animated film to be commissioned by the Ministry of Education. Various interesting efforts were made in this film including speech balloons to depict conversations.

The story in brief:

This short animation is mostly based on 'The Fisherman and the Genie' from The Arabian Nights, with the addition of the fable of the lion and the fox from Machiavelli's 'The Prince'. A loyal son spends his days fishing hard to please his father, instead of playing with his friends. One day while fishing, he finds a mysterious pot in his net. Upon opening it, a demon emerged from inside. When the demon tries to eat him, the clever boy challenges it to fit back inside the pot and traps him. The demon asks to be let out. The young fisherman then tells it a story about a sly fox that tricks a lion and later on has to suffer for it. Moved by the tale, the demon changes its ways and rewards the young man with a pot filled with gold coins.

More info on Senga Tsubo:

• Reviews and ratings of Senga Tsubo - IMDb
• More info on the anime film - Japanese Animated Film Classics

Animation Movies by Sanae Yamamoto