Momotaro: Sacred Sailors
桃太郎 海の神兵
Synopsis
A monkey, a dog, a pheasant, and a bear travel southward after resting in their villages at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A squadron flies to Onigashima under the command of Momotarou. Parachutes blossom in the sky. Momotarou and company will take over the island after a swift and successful mission. The village children pretend parachuting with glee as they run towards Mt. Fuji. (Source: Imagica)
Background
Momotarou: Umi no Shinpei is a war propaganda movie considered to be Japan's first feature-length animation work. It was produced with funding of 270,000 yen from the Ministry of the Navy. The movie was considered lost following the end of World War II, but its negatives were rediscovered in 1982. Shochiku's digital restoration of the film was screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.