Across the Equator

Directed and cinematographed by Tsuburaya, this feature-length national policy documentary was produced with the backing of the naval ministry. It sketches life among cadets aboard a naval training vessel on a voyage around Indochina, Malaya, Hawaii, and the South Pacific islands. The film clearly outlines the economic motives behind Japan’s southward expansion while also presenting the music and dance traditions of diverse regions, in a presentation described as 'folklore through sound'.