Tenchi: The Samurai Astronomer

The film is set in seventeenth century Japan. Yasui Santetsu is a master of the game of go. He makes his living from the game in the Edo period. In time his interest turns to the sky. He begins to observe the stars and the planets. He likes measuring and calculating. The calendar in use has stood unchanged for centuries. It no longer agrees with the sky. Santetsu sets out to build a new one. He gathers measurements for years. Court and temple circles resist him. The work is not a matter of arithmetic alone. It turns into a political struggle. In the end the Jokyo calendar is adopted at the emperor’s request. The film draws on a real life. Aoi Miyazaki and Junichi Okada appear in the one hundred forty one minute film, a Japanese production Yojiro Takita finished in 2012.