Kukai

In 9th-century Japan, a young monk named Kukai sets out on a journey that will take him far beyond his homeland in search of spiritual truth. Traveling through China and India, he immerses himself in the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism, confronting trials and forging connections that deepen his understanding of faith and philosophy. When he returns to Japan, Kukai transforms these lessons into the foundation of the Shingon school, leaving a lasting mark on the religious and cultural life of the Heian period.

It was one of the rare Japanese films of the 1980s to focus on a Buddhist monk as a central figure, blending biography with sweeping period drama.

Shot with elaborate sets and costumes, the production recreated the grandeur of the Heian court and the spiritual atmosphere of early Shingon Buddhism.