The Breaking of Branches Is Forbidden
The head monk tasks a young acolyte with guarding a beautiful cherry tree in the monastery garden while he is away. But the older monk doesn’t realize how much his apprentice loves sake. By chance, a samurai and his servant arrive to have a picnic beneath the blooming tree. The acolyte tries to stop them, but the scent of their sake weakens his resolve... Released in 1968, this was director Kawamoto’s first puppet film-a cautionary story about a disciple who faces consequences for giving in to temptation.
