Nakayama Shichi Ri is a 1962 black-and-white film starring popular Kabuki actor Raizō Ichikawa. "Seven Ri to Nakayama" became "In the Ring of Mountains" in English. Ri is a Japanese measure of length, it is almost 4 km.
The story is based on a novel by Shin Hasegawa (1884-1963).
During a raid on a gambling den, the gambler Masakichi has to flee and gets to know Oshima in this way.
The villains united have tracked down Masakichi, Onaka and Tokonosuke in a long-abandoned mountain village and want to destroy Masakichi. But he's just better. In the end Masakichi even renounces Onaka.
Original title: 中山七里
English title: In the Ring of Mountains
Published: 1962
Length: 87 minutes
Staff
Director: Senkichiro Takeda
Story: Shin Hasegawa
Music: Yukio Kaihara
Cast
Raizō Ichikawa: Masakichi
Oshima: Tamao Nakamura
Onaka: Tamao Nakamura
Tokonosuke: Kōichi Ōse
The gambler Masakichi (Raizō Ichikawa) marries Oshima (Tamao Nakamura). They are happy for a short time until the Yakuza boss rapes her. Oshima commits suicide. Masakichi threatens the boss and the corrupt cop Tohachi tries to arrest him. Masakichi therefore flees.
A year later, Masakichi helps a girl named Onaka on the street because she looks just like his late Oshima. Of course, Onaka is also played by Tamao Nakamura. She is engaged to Tokonosuke (Kōichi Ōse), who has signed a promissory note for 120 ryo through cheating. If Onaka agrees to being raped by the gambling den boss, the debt will be forgiven.
Masakichi frees both of them and together they make an escape. The Yakuza boss and the guy who betrayed Tokonosuke are buddies. Masakichi wants to flee to his old boss in the mountains. As it surprisingly turns out, he is Tokonosuke's father. Tokonosuke ran away from home 15 years ago and was therefore rejected by his father.
The song is about Masakichi's lost love Oshima and the accidental acquaintance Onaka, who looks a lot like her. The video shows images from the film.
The singer is Yukio Hashi (*1943). The style of the song is Enka (演歌). Enka is a specific genre of music that has been popular in Japan, Southeast Asia and China since the 1920s. Enka sounds peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. Enka have their origins in the Meiji period around 1880.
作詞：佐伯孝夫 - 作曲：吉田正
中山七里のお地蔵さんに
あげる野花も かなしい供養
仇は討ったぜ 成仏しなと
合す両手に 他国の風が
きょうも きょうも
きょうも冷たい急ぎ旅
似ている 似てるぜ 助けた女
おしまおまえに ほつれ毛までも
看病一つに つい身がはいる
もっと沢山の歌詞は
抱いて女房と 呼びたい宿で
きけば きけば
きけば亭主を たずね旅
長脇差一本草鞋をはいて
土足裾どり おいとましやす
好いて好かれて 手に手を引いて
木曽は桟 仲よく渡れ
これが これが
これが政吉 置土産
Singer: 橋幸夫 (はしゆきお)