Set in Japan's Tenpyou era (729-749 CE), four young monks are sent to China to study Buddhism and bring a high priest back to Japan with them. The film tells the tale of the four monks' youth and the life and times of the high priest Ganjin.
| Writing | Yoshikata Yoda | Writer |
| Camera | Shinsaku Himeda | Director of Photography |
| Directing | Kei Kumai | Director |
| Sound | Toru Takemitsu | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Nobuo Ogawa | Editor |
| Art | Takeo Kimura | Production Design |
| Sound | Shotaro Yoshida | Sound |
| Directing | Kiyoshi Ogasawara | Assistant Director |
