Sakashima The Impostor

was a 1931 Japanese silent comedy film directed by Shigeo Sato with Kaoru Taniguchi, Nobara Ogawa and Kitano Yukihiro playing the leads. It is known as 'the first Japanese film to introduce western elements'. At the time of its release, it featured unusual effects such as cgi images projected onto buildings in lieu of scenes filmed on location (unlike later westerns which were shot on location).

The plot centers around an underground revolutionary movement in South Korea in 1917, which has been based by two high-profile spies for Japan during World War I - Sakashima Juntaku (Taniguchi) and Nishi Nozo (Kitano), who have turned corrupt and are now working together to assassinate the heir of a man known only as the "King" (Tadanobu Asano). One night they are intercepted by an infamous mercenary named Kwang Je Suk (Ogawa), whose office is next door to theirs at Nakaiya General Store, where he helps smuggling shipments of guns and explosives across the border, only to find his own wife killed there, along with young children.

Wandering over to investigate the case, they bump into both their colleagues and find themselves being followed by local businessman Ikuto (Koizumi Noriaki and Musashi Tsuruhisa), a close friend of Sakashima's mother (Suzuiya Kawata). While attempting to escape, Ikuno forces them into the store premises' garden with hidden explosives while Ikuto accompanies him outside, again causing them to be captured and beheaded on camera. Although they crash through a window while trying to flee back down the steps outside, their deaths cause Sakashima and Ikuo to regroup and give up their plans; the former then refuses to return to Waksu County until he can clear up what occurred up North that caused these crimes before leaving.

After leaving for China via Khitoe Gate Tunnel, Sakashima fails to make contact or phone Ikuto beforehand — surprising Ikuto somewhat, but not much else. Later, Sakashima begins seeing visions that he had spent hundreds of dollars with Namiya at Nakaiya General Store (now Mitsufumimi Station) when delivering her packages earlier.