This is a five-minute film produced in 1917 (Taisho 6) by the Mukojima Studio of Nikkatsu (then known as Nippon Katsudo Shashin Kabushiki-gaisha), which was founded in 1912. It is also Japan's second animated film. A cunning monkey, craving the crab's rice ball, cleverly persuaded the crab to trade it for his own persimmon seed. However, the persimmon seed, which was thought to be nearly worthless, grew into a large tree bearing abundant fruit. The monkey now desired those persimmons... This animated film is based on a fairy tale widely known across generations. It was planned, animated, and directed by Seitaro Kitayama, a Western-style painter who edited and published the art magazine "Modern Western Painting" during the Taisho period. Active at Nikkatsu, Kitayama initially produced film title sections and eventually became the head of the company's manga and subtitle production department. He began researching animation production around 1915 and entered filming for this work the following year in 1916, though the honor of Japan's first anime was conceded to Tenkatsu's "The Story of Imokawa Mukuzo, the Doorman."