Katsudou Shashin

Synopsis

A young boy dressed in sailor attire and a bright red cap is shown to write the Japanese kanji characters translating to the phrase "moving picture." As he completes writing the phrase, he faces toward the viewer and bows. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Katsudou Shashin consists of fifty frames of celluloid strip in its three-second duration, with sixteen frames per second. Discovered in 2004, having been purchased with a private collection in Kyoto, it is suspected to have been created between 1905 and 1911. This would make it one of the oldest pieces of animation from Japan.

Discussion