Song of Home

The narrative centers on the lives of two boys from a rural area, highlighting the clash between traditional values and modern influences. One boy is a coach driver who has never ventured beyond his hometown, while the other is a student returning from Tokyo, bringing with him the trappings of city life, including Western jazz records.

Produced by the Nikkatsu Corporation and the Ministry of Education, Song of Home presents a simplistic moral lesson intertwined with a profound reflection on a vanished rural past. The film’s lyrical quality and thematic exploration of cultural conflict make it a significant piece within Mizoguchi's oeuvre. As the earliest example of his work that remains intact, it offers collectors a unique glimpse into the evolution of Japanese cinema in the 1920s.