A Sumo Wrestler's Tail
| A Sumo Wrestler's Tail | |
|---|---|
Title screen for the short film | |
| Japanese | ちゅうずもう |
| Directed by | Akihiko Yamashita |
| Written by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Starring | Sawako Agawa |
| Music by | Manto Watanobe |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Ghibli Museum |
Release date |
|
Running time | 13 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
A Sumo Wrestler's Tail (Japanese: ちゅうずもう, Hepburn: Chūzumō) is a 2010 fantasy animated 13-minute short film written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Akihiko Yamashita. It is based on a Japanese folk tale, Nezumi no Sumō. It was produced by Studio Ghibli for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka.
Plot
An old farmer discovers a group of rats heading to a sumo wrestling bout. After they lose miserably, he decides to feed the rats to boost their chances of winning.
Production and release
Chūzumō was written and planned by Hayao Miyazaki, with storyboards by the director of the film, Akihiko Yamashita. The storyboards took three months to complete.[1] The story is based on a Japanese folk tale, Nezumi no Sumō.[1][2] The film depicts scenery and locations based on actual places in Nagano Prefecture.[1]
It premiered at the Ghibli Museum on January 3, 2010.[3][4] This was Yamashita directorial debut, and—at the time of its release—it was the first film by Studio Ghibli to premier at the Ghibli Museum in four years.[1] As part of the promotions for the film, wrestlers from the Arashio stable, including Ōyutaka Masachika, were invited to the museum where they held a sumō tournament in front of a group of children.[5][6]
Staff and cast
- Director: Akihiko Yamashita[2][4]
- Planning: Hayao Miyazaki[2][4]
- Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki[2][4]
- Storyboards: Akihiko Yamashita[2][4]
- Music: Manto Watanobe[2][4]
- Narrator: Sawako Agawa[4]
- Production: Studio Ghibli[2][4]
References
- ^ a b c d 菅野みゆき (Miyuki Sugano) (January 10, 2010). ネズミが相撲、大奮闘――新作アニメ『ちゅうずもう』上映中――民話題材三鷹の森ジブリ美術館 [Mice Engage in Sumo, a Great Struggle—New Anime 'Chūzumō' Now Showing—Based on a Folktale at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e f g Team Ghiblink (December 15, 2012). "A Sumo Wrestler's Tail". Nausicaa.net. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ ちゅうずもう [Rat Sumo] (in Japanese). Ghibli Museum. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h みたか広報 No.1418 [Mitaka Public Relations No.1418] (PDF) (in Japanese). Mitaka City. January 1, 2010. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ ジブリ美術館でどすこい [Sumō at the Ghibli Museum] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun. January 6, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ ジブリ美術館で短編アニメ『ちゅうずもう』上映記念イベント開催 [Event held at the Ghibli Museum to commemorate the screening of the short anime 'Chūzumō'] (in Japanese). Mitaka City. January 8, 2010.
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External links
- A Sumo Wrestler's Tail at Nausicaa.net
- A Sumo Wrestler's Tail at IMDb
- A Sumo Wrestler's Tail at Anime News Network's encyclopedia