Good Soil

30 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguagesEnglish
Japanese

Good Soil (希望の大地) is a 2007 short film written and directed by Craig Shimahara.

Jinbei Masuda, a Japanese Christian of the samurai class, draws his strength from his faith, family, and fencing. However, he is caught up in the shogun's policy of religious persecution and must choose between his loved ones and his God.

Ships from Europe brought Christianity to the shores of Japan in 1549. For decades the seeds of faith grew under the watchful gaze of the Shogun. But the fear of foreign influence eventually gave rise to persecution. By 1624, Japanese Christians enjoyed only a few more years of peace.

• Shin Koyamada – Jinbei Masuda 益田甚平
• Yoshi Ando – Michijiro
• Atsushi Hirata – Iwanaga
• Yutaka Takeuchi – Tsunoyasu
• Craig Reid – Catholic Priest
• Kazumi Zatkin – Otsu
• Maxwell Banchi – Shiro
• Christine Shimahara – Kinu
• Tex Nakamura – Daimyo
• Yuji Tone – Attendant
• Mitsuji Higashimoto – Guard No. 1
• Agata Toshiya – Guard No. 2

• Amakusa Shirō
• Shimabara Rebellion
• Shimabara Peninsula

• Good Soil at IMDb
• Shin Koyamada's movie promotion with the Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan