In Kurosawa Akira’s film Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai), released by Toho on April 26, 1954, farmers hire samurai to defend their village against bandits. At first, the frightened villagers stay in their houses and do not come out.
Then Kikuchiyo, who has joined the seven, beats the village’s wooden alarm board. Thinking the bandits have come, the villagers rush out of their houses and beg the samurai for help. Kikuchiyo also brings out armor and swords that the villagers had taken by hunting down fleeing samurai.