Manji (film)

Manji (Japanese: 卍, Manji) is a 1964 Japanese drama film directed by Yasuzo Masumura,^[2][3] starring Ayako Wakao and Kyōko Kishida. The screenplay written by Kaneto Shindō is based on the 1928 novel Quicksand by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. The theme of sexual excess includes homosexuality between women.

Manji
Japanese DVD cover of 1964 release
Japanese	卍
Directed by	Yasuzo Masumura
Written by	Kaneto Shindō
Based on	Quicksand by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Produced by	Saito Yonejiro[1]
Starring	Ayako Wakao Kyōko Kishida Eiji Funakoshi Yūsuke Kawazu
Cinematography	Kobayashi Setuo[1]
Edited by	Tatsuji Nakasizu (中静達治)[1]
Music by	Tadashi Yamauchi[1]
Production company	Daiei Film[1]
Release date	25 July 1964 (1964-07-25)[1]
Running time	91 minutes[1]
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

The 1964 release of Manji is the first film adaptation of the novel.^[4] It was followed by four additional film versions, in 1983, 1998, 2006, and 2023.

Synopsis

Sonoko, a bored married woman, falls for a fellow art student, the young and beautiful Mitsuko. The relationship develops and starts to affect and involve their partners.

Cast

• Ayako Wakao as Mitsuko Tokumitsu
• Kyōko Kishida as Sonoko Kakiuchi
• Eiji Funakoshi as Kotaro Kakiuchi
• Yūsuke Kawazu as Eijirō Watanuki

Other adaptations of Quicksand

1983

Cast

• Kanako Higuchi as Mitsuko Sido
• Haruna Takase as Sonoko Kakiuchi
• Yoshio Harada as Kotaro Kakiuchi

Production

• director: Hiroto Yokoyama^[3]

1998

Cast

• Kaori Sakagami as Sonoko
• Tomoko Mayumi as Mitsuko
• Sei Hiraizumi as Kotaro Kikiuchi

Production

• director: Mitsunori Hattori^[4]

2006

Cast

• Fujiko as Mitsuko Sido
• Cosmosco as Sonoko

Production

• director, writer: Noboru Iguchi^[5]

2023

• Manami Shindo as Mitsuko Tokunaga
• Noriko Kijima as Sonoko Kakiuchi

Production

• director: Kishū Izuchi^[6][7]

See also

• Historical use of manji (卍) in Japan
• The Berlin Affair – 1985 film based on Quicksand by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
• List of feature films with lesbian characters