The first instalment in Daiei's film series adaptation of Yoshikawa Eiji's novel of the same title, originally serialized in "The Asahi Weekly." The second instalment was directed by Kinugasa Teinosuke, and the third by Shima Koji. This first film portrays the rise of Taira no Kiyomori, played by Ichikawa Raizo, and the events surrounding his birth, brought to life through the lavish craftsmanship of Mizoguchi and Daiei Kyoto's finest creative minds. In 2004, the film was digitally restored through a joint project between the National Film Center (now the National Film Archive of Japan) and what was then Kadokawa Pictures.
Mizoguchi was born in Tokyo in 1898. Following his debut in 1923, he was noted for Kaminingyo Haru no Sasayaki (1926). After Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion (1936), he won the International Award for The Life of Oharu (1952), the Silver Lion for Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), and Sansho Dayu (1954) at the Venice Film Festival, making his name known globally. He died suddenly in 1956 at the age of 58.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
![New Tales of the Taira Clan [Digital Restoration] film poster](https://img.filmcdn.com/film-poster/1/0/7/5/1/9/107519-taira-clan-saga-1955-en-83dbc95d.jpg)
