Samurai Movies And Other Japanese Period Films (Jidaigeki)
by SeussMeTub | created - 06 Oct 2012 | updated - 29 Jan 2017 | PublicMy favorite historical Japanese films. There's plenty of samurai, ronin, bandits, ninjas, assassins, thieves, ghosts, monks, farmers, merchants and others in this list. All my lists are continuously updated so check back often!
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1. Samurai Reincarnation (1981)
122 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Centuries ago, a samurai survives the massacre of 35,000 Christians and denounces God for ignoring the pleas of the believers. He sells his soul to the devil and receives the power to resurrect the dead to join him on a murderous rampage.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Shin'ichi Chiba, Kenji Sawada, Akiko Kana, Ken Ogata
Votes: 1,188
Excellent historical fantasy that gave birth to the hit arcade game Samurai Shodown (actual spelling) which I used to play back in high school.
2. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 366,976 | Gross: $0.27M
The all-time classic. If you will only watch one samurai film then this is it. The original cut is almost 4 hours but its worth it!
3. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,239
Dark and depressing but still a classic tale of cruelty and forgiveness.
4. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Depicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Rentarô Mikuni, Kurôemon Onoe
Votes: 9,512
First of a 3 part epic on the life of Miyamoto Mushashi, Japan's greatest swordsman. Toshiro Mifune is my all time favorite actor and he shines in this. Unlike most other films made during this time, its in color!
5. Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
TV-PG | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Musashi Miyamoto returns to Kyoto after years of absence. After a series of fights against the Yoshioka School, he challenges its master to a duel.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,964
6. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
TV-PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Musashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,703
7. The Gambling Samurai (1960)
90 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Chuji Kunisada returns to his home village to find that Jubei Matsui, the corrupt magistrate, has been responsible for virtually destroying Kunisada's family. A final tragedy leads Kunisada... See full summary »
Director: Senkichi Taniguchi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Daisuke Katô, Michiyo Aratama, Yôsuke Natsuki
Votes: 65
8. Yojimbo (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 131,405
Clint Eastwood's Fistful of Dollars basically copied this. A fun and engaging actioner starring my two fav samurai actors- Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai!
9. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Gô Katô, Tatsuyoshi Ehara
Votes: 14,103
Toshiro Mifune and Tatsyua Nakadai are at it again! A father and son samurai are bound by honor to a lord's ever changing whims, but at what cost?
10. The Sword of Doom (1966)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Naitô
Votes: 12,078
Disjointed, brutal and haunting. The ending is somewhat abrupt but its still a classic samurai film.
11. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa, Michiyo Yasuda
Votes: 51,547 | Gross: $0.85M
Post modern update of the venerable Zaitochi movies with Beat Takeshi in the starring role. Very good!
12. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,267 | Gross: $4.14M
King Lear in medieval Japan! Another instant classic from master director Akira Kurosawa. The colors flow through this epic like a painting.
13. Rashomon (1950)
Not Rated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 180,557 | Gross: $0.10M
14. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,983
Kurosawa's take on Shakespeare's Macbeth. Another classic starring Toshiro Mifune.
15. Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962)
Not Rated | 104 min | Action, Drama
A young ninja becomes embroiled in a plot to kill a tyrannical warlord. He journeys across feudal Japan, facing deceit, betrayal, and enemy ninja at every turn. Goemon must complete his mission, regain his honor, and survive.
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yûnosuke Itô, Katsuhiko Kobayashi
Votes: 935
The movie that started the ninja craze! Anyone who is a fan of movie ninjas has to see this one!
16. Onibaba (1964)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.
Director: Kaneto Shindô | Stars: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satô, Jûkichi Uno
Votes: 21,875
A ghost story set in the marshes. Very different compared to the other movies in this list.
17. Kwaidan (1964)
Not Rated | 183 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirô Ishiyama
Votes: 20,001
Lush, colorful tales of the supernatural. Though not quite as scary as some of the great horror classics, the visuals alone make this one another winner.
18. When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama, History
A samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Kôichi Satô, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata
Votes: 5,360
Funny and poignant tale of a materialistic samurai in the closing days of the era. Very good!
19. 47 Ronin (1994)
132 min | Action, Drama
A group of disgraced samurai plan a decade long revenge against a corrupt lord.
Director: Kon Ichikawa | Stars: Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, Rie Miyazawa, Kôichi Iwaki
Votes: 559
Another take on the story of the 47 Ronin. A group of disgraced samurai plan a decade long revenge against a corrupt lord. Starring Ken Takakura.
20. Sword of the Beast (1965)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Drama
After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Gô Katô, Shima Iwashita, Toshie Kimura
Votes: 3,092
An outlaw ronin on the run makes this a very good movie. Lots of action and suspense.
21. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,738
22. Samurai Spy (1965)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama
The legendary samurai Sasuke Sarutobi gets caught in a web of political intrigue, deception and espionage during the early 17th century.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Hiroshi Aoyama, Jun Hamamura, Osamu Hitomi, Minoru Hodaka
Votes: 1,860
Spies, samurai and ninjas abound in this, a very different movie for its time- full of double crosses and intrigue. Highly recommended!
23. Samurai Assassin (I) (1965)
122 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
February 17 to March 3, 1860, inside Edo castle. A group of assassins wait by Sakurada Gate to kill the lord of the House of Ii, a powerful man in the Tokugawa government, which has ruled ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 2,510
24. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
Not Rated | 84 min | Action, Adventure
The story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Gô Katô, Tomoko Mayama
Votes: 8,884
This is the first of the 6 movie Lone Wolf and Cub series, based on the hit manga. Every movie is pretty good and there isnt a bad film in the series. Although it tends to get cheesy and ridiculous at times, its still a must watch for samurai fans.
25. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Trailed by a clan of female ninja, Ogami is paid to assassinate a clan traitor accompanied by three killers known as the Gods of Death.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Akiji Kobayashi
Votes: 6,861
26. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Thriller
Ogami is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin. Gunbei Yagyu, an enemy samurai, happens upon Ogami's son, and sees his chance for revenge.
Director: Buichi Saitô | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Yoichi Hayashi, Michi Azuma, Akihiro Tomikawa
Votes: 4,959
27. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)
R | 89 min | Action, Drama
Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by the yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Gô Katô, Yûko Hama, Isao Yamagata
Votes: 5,608
28. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1973)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Five warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each holds a part of information needed to complete the assassination of a mad clan leader.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Michiyo Yasuda, Akihiro Tomikawa, Shingo Yamashiro
Votes: 4,627
29. Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the sixth and final film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, the final conflict between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan is carried out.
Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Junko Hitomi, Gorô Mutsumi
Votes: 4,300
30. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,195
This is another Kurosawa masterpiece. Dont you dare miss this if youre a fan of the genre!
31. Kill! (1968)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 3,178
Very funny and fun action romp with Tatsuya Nakadai as a streetwise ronin makes this one a near masterpiece. Highly recommended!
32. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Drama
When poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano
Votes: 3,993
33. The Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurô Tanba, Yôko Tsukasa, Ruriko Asaoka
Votes: 2,618
34. Chushingura (1962)
207 min | Action, Drama, History
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Chûsha Ichikawa, Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 2,239
An adaptation of the 47 Ronin story with Toshiro Mifune. One of his lesser works but still pretty good enough to warrant a recommendation.
35. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Votes: 42,263
If you want to know where George Lucas got the plot of Star Wars from- this is it!
36. 13 Assassins (2010)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Ikki Sawamura
Votes: 68,630 | Gross: $0.80M
Huge actioner with 13 samurai on a suicide mission to take on an evil lord and his army of bodyguards. A must see!
37. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryûzô Shimada, Hajime Mitamura
Votes: 5,907
The first movie of the epic 26 film series starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur (and expert swordsman) Zatoichi. Extremely popular in Japan and a must see!
38. The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)
Not Rated | 72 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The blind masseur and swordsman, Zatoichi, learns of a powerful political figure's secret and is quickly tailed by a group of killers.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Yaeko Mizutani, Masayo Banri, Tomisaburô Wakayama
Votes: 2,782
39. New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Wishing to find peace, Zatoichi travels to his old village but only finds trouble when he ends up in a love triangle and finds old scores have followed him home.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Seizaburô Kawazu, Fujio Suga
Votes: 2,379
40. Zatoichi the Fugitive (1963)
Not Rated | 86 min | Drama, Adventure, Action
A yakuza gang targets the blind masseur Zatoichi after he defeats their group in a wrestling match. Meanwhile a long lost love of Zatoichi's returns to his life.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Jun'ichirô Narita
Votes: 2,018
41. Zatoichi's Revenge (1965)
Not Rated | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After Zatoichi learns of his sensei's murder he uncovers a horrible conspiracy involving the local government and crime family.
Director: Akira Inoue | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Norihei Miki, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Takeshi Katô
Votes: 1,524
42. Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (1965)
Not Rated | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The blind masseur and swordsman, Zatoichi, searches for proof an imprisoned man's innocence.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Kanbi Fujiyama, Eiko Takashiro, Masako Akeboshi
Votes: 1,368
43. Zatoichi Challenged (1967)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Adventure, Action
After an artist is threatened by the yakuza into creating valuable but highly illegal pornography, the law aims to execute him. Zatoichi, having been honor bound to protect the man and his family, must now run against the law.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Jûshirô Konoe, Miwa Takada, Yukiji Asaoka
Votes: 1,509
44. Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (1970)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Adventure, Action
Zatoichi meets an infamous blind leader of a gangster organization as he contends with a gloomy ronin widower.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Reiko Ôhara, Pîtâ, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Votes: 1,553
45. Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Two of Japan and China's greatest heroic swordsman find themselves caught in a plot to protect a young child. But will national distrust and simple misunderstanding keep the two kindred spirits apart?
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Jimmy Wang Yu, Michie Terada, Kôji Nanbara
Votes: 1,720
46. Zatoichi (1989)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Drama
Older, wiser but still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi seeks a peaceful life in a rural village. When he's caught in the middle of a power struggle between two rival... See full summary »
Director: Shintarô Katsu | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Kanako Higuchi, Takanori Jinnai, Ryûtarô Gan
Votes: 1,875
Shintaro Katsu's final Zatoichi movie before his death. Not as great as his older classic movies but an above average film nonetheless.
47. Jigokuhen (1969)
91 min | Drama
A rebellious Korean artist tests the limits of his sadistic patron, an omnipotent feudal Japanese lord. Yoshihide demands a commission to paint screens of the Hell which he sees the ... See full summary »
Director: Shirô Toyoda | Stars: Hideyo Amamoto, Tadao Futami, Masao Imafuku, Mitsuyo Inomata
Votes: 383
48. Ugetsu (1953)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito
Votes: 25,827 | Gross: $0.01M
49. Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (1972)
94 min | Action
Hanzo Itami is an incorruptible Edo officer who learns that an infamous killer has fled from his island prison. Hanzo begins tracking him down using his unorthodox interrogation techniques.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Yukiji Asaoka, Mari Atsumi, Kô Nishimura
Votes: 1,887
50. Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (1973)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Drama
During the currency devaluation by the Edo treasury, officer Hanzo deals with a temple priestess who sells her pupils as prostitutes, and a notorious thief who plans to rob the mint.
Director: Yasuzô Masumura | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Keiko Aikawa, Kazuko Inano, Keizô Kanie
Votes: 1,289
51. A Story from Chikamatsu (1954)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Ishun is a wealthy but unsympathetic master printer who has wrongly accused his wife and best employee of being lovers. To escape punishment, the accused run away together, but Ishun is certain to be ruined if word gets out.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô, Eitarô Ozawa
Votes: 4,948
52. Sanjuro (1962)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 41,148
53. The Life of Oharu (1952)
Not Rated | 133 min | Drama
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of society.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirô Sugai, Toshirô Mifune
Votes: 7,647
54. Gate of Hell (1953)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, History
A samurai pursues a married lady-in-waiting.
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Machiko Kyô, Kazuo Hasegawa, Isao Yamagata, Yatarô Kurokawa
Votes: 4,280
55. Incident at Blood Pass (1970)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Drama
Sent on a secret mission, a ronin must discover who his friends are and who must die.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintarô Katsu
Votes: 901
56. Black Cat (1968)
Not Rated | 99 min | Drama, Horror
Two women are raped and killed by samurai soldiers. Soon they reappear as vengeful ghosts who seduce and brutally murder the passing samurai.
Director: Kaneto Shindô | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei Satô, Rokkô Toura
Votes: 8,584
57. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,287 | Gross: $0.02M
58. The Hidden Blade (2004)
R | 132 min | Drama, History, Romance
A 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Votes: 7,204 | Gross: $0.04M
59. After the Rain (1999)
91 min | Drama
During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect.
Director: Takashi Koizumi | Stars: Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shirô Mifune, Fumi Dan
Votes: 4,464
60. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
129 min | Drama, Romance
As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 25,523
More character and story than action, this is a near masterpiece about a humble samurai who tries to retain his honor in a changing world. Highly recommended!
61. Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (1978)
130 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After the Tokugawa shogun's death by poisoning, his sons Iemitsu and Tadanaga compete for the shogunate, dividing the land into warring factions. Iemitsu's mentor, betrays all to secure Iemitsu's power, leading to widespread conflict.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Shin'ichi Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata, Teruhiko Saigô
Votes: 1,668
Based on the life of Jubei, one of Japan's greatest swordsmen, I would highly recommend this. Sonny Chiba took the mantle of king of samurai actors from Toshiro Mifune in the 1970's and he shines in this.
62. Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983)
133 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Princess Shizu was born under a terrible curse. Only the eight legendary samurai, hailing from across Japan, can protect her from an ancient supernatural clan to fulfill their destinies as foretold by prophecy.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shin'ichi Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi
Votes: 1,311
63. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
A tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Munetaka Aoki, Naoto Takenaka, Hikari Mitsushima
Votes: 9,158 | Gross: $0.08M
64. Semishigure (2005)
131 min | Drama, Romance
A young swordsman is forced into a tough situation. He must resolve a potential power struggle that involves his adolescent crush Fuku.
Director: Mitsuo Kurotsuchi | Stars: Somegorô Ichikawa, Yoshino Kimura, Kôji Imada, Ryo Fukawa
Votes: 311
65. Gonza the Spearman (1986)
126 min | Drama
The tragic story of Gonza, a handsome ladies man, set in the Tokagawa Period, a time in which appearences are very important. Gonza competes with Bannojo for the honor to perform the tea ... See full summary »
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Hiromi Gô, Shima Iwashita, Shohei Hino, Misako Tanaka
Votes: 425
66. Ronin Gai (1990)
117 min | Action, Drama
A group of masterless samurai living in Edo's red light district must fend off a militia bent on wiping out local prostitutes.
Directors: Kazuo Kuroki, Masahiro Makino | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Kanako Higuchi, Renji Ishibashi, Kaoru Sugita
Votes: 577
67. Hana (2006)
127 min | Comedy, Drama
A troubled young samurai seeks revenge for the death of his father.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta, Jun Kunimura
Votes: 1,901
68. Samurai Banners (1969)
165 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A shrewd 16th Century samurai helps a daimyo expand his realm.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yoshiko Sakuma, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yûjirô Ishihara
Votes: 819
69. Taboo (1999)
Unrated | 100 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The new member of a samurai militia unit causes disruption as several of his colleagues fall in love with him, threatening to disturb the rigid code of their squad.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Ryûhei Matsuda, Shinji Takeda, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 8,077 | Gross: $0.05M
A very different film, this one deals with the taboo subject of homosexuality within a samurai clan.
70. Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Star-crossed lovers must fight on opposing sides in a battle that will determine the next Shogun.
Director: Ten Shimoyama | Stars: Yukie Nakama, Joe Odagiri, Tomoka Kurotani, Erika Sawajiri
Votes: 12,944
Special effects filled fantasy actioner with two superhero ninja clans. Kinda cheesy but still entertaining.
71. Red Lion (1969)
115 min | Action, Comedy
Impersonating an Imperial Army officer by wearing a "red lion's mane", a poor servant returns to his village after 10 years of absence to end the village's suffering caused by corrupt officials and businessmen.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shima Iwashita, Etsushi Takahashi, Minori Terada
Votes: 799
72. Irezumi (1966)
86 min | Drama
A seductive woman gets kidnapped into prostitution. After getting a spider tattoo made on her back, she grows vengeful, leaving several men in her path.
Director: Yasuzô Masumura | Stars: Ayako Wakao, Akio Hasegawa, Gaku Yamamoto, Kei Satô
Votes: 1,349
73. Illusion of Blood (1965)
105 min | Fantasy, Horror
A samurai warrior is haunted by the spirit of his first wife.
Director: Shirô Toyoda | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mariko Okada, Junko Ikeuchi, Mayumi Ôzora
Votes: 321
74. Lady Snowblood (1973)
Not Rated | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.
Director: Toshiya Fujita | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa, Masaaki Daimon, Miyoko Akaza
Votes: 16,309
75. Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, Thriller
To avoid a death sentence for her prior acts of bloodshed, the vengeful swordswoman Lady Snowblood is conscripted by the Japanese Secret Police to assassinate political dissidents.
Director: Toshiya Fujita | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Jûzô Itami, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Yoshio Harada
Votes: 4,217
76. Floating Weeds (1959)
Not Rated | 119 min | Drama
The head of a Japanese theatre troupe returns to a small coastal town where he left a son who thinks he is his uncle, and tries to make up for the lost time, but his current mistress grows jealous.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Ganjirô Nakamura, Machiko Kyô, Haruko Sugimura, Ayako Wakao
Votes: 8,982
77. Mushukunin mikogami no jôkichi: Kawakaze ni kako wa nagareta (1972)
80 min | Action
Thirsting for revenge, Jokichi rashly attempts to assassinate the evil Chogoro but ends up being captured by Yakuza. His life is spared by Boss Juzaburo, in order that the harmony of an ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Tôru Abe, Yoshio Harada, Akio Hasegawa, Etsuko Ichihara
Votes: 138
78. Kage gari (1972)
90 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
In the late Tokugawa period, the Edo government is using Spies from Iga Province to cause the downfall of innocent provincial Daimyo. The Shogun needs to claim the assets of fallen clans in order to boost the failing economies of Edo.
Director: Toshio Masuda | Stars: Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Ryôhei Uchida, Mikio Narita
Votes: 143
79. Trail of Blood (1972)
88 min | Action, Drama
Can a sinful man change and find peace? It's unlikely in gang-plagued Japan. Jokichi of Mikogami, a drifter (and hired sword), goes straight after protecting a woman in distress: they marry... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Atsuo Nakamura, Kayo Matsuo, Sanae Kitabayashi
Votes: 178
80. The Last Samurai (1974)
159 min | Action, Drama
Toranosuke Sugi, a brave and loyal Samurai, fights to practice and preserve his master's teachings amid a civil war. With friends on both side will he cave to temptation, or stand on principle and for freedom?
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Ken Ogata, Takahiro Tamura, Teruhiko Saigô
Votes: 393
81. Empire of Passion (1978)
R | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Romance
A married woman and her lover murder her husband and dump his body into a well. After a while, his ghost comes to haunt them while the local gossip grows stronger.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Takahiro Tamura, Takuzô Kawatani
Votes: 4,937
82. Death of a Ninja (1982)
R | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A fortuneteller prophesizes that whoever marries the beautiful Ukio will become the ruler of the world. Naturally, this makes her very popular with those vying for power, particularly the ... See full summary »
Director: Kôsei Saitô | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Noriko Watanabe, Jun Miho, Yuki Kazamatsuri
Votes: 616
83. The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama
In a poor 19th century rural Japanese village, everyone who reaches the age of 70 has to climb a nearby mountain to die. An elderly woman is reaching close to her cut-off age during her last days with her family.
Director: Shôhei Imamura | Stars: Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto, Tonpei Hidari, Aki Takejô
Votes: 9,138
84. Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder! (1985)
Action, Drama
The "Hissatsu!" band of assassins gets involved in an old mansion with a secret weapon.
Director: Joe Hirose | Stars: Makoto Fujita, Izumi Ayukawa, Masaki Kyômoto, Hiroaki Murakami
Votes: 30
85. Rikyu (1989)
135 min | Biography, Drama, History
Legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu is faced with his warmongering lord's unrealistic pretensions.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Yoshiko Mita, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kyôko Kishida
Votes: 833
86. Reborn from Hell: Samurai Armageddon (1999)
R | 82 min | Action, Fantasy
An evil sorcerer summons seven legendary Samurai warriors to aid him in his conquest of the world. One valiant warrior stands against them.
Director: Kazumasa Shirai | Stars: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Tomorô Taguchi, Yûko Moriyama, Hitomi Shimizu
Votes: 110
87. Azumi (2003)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Raised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroki Narimiya, Takatoshi Kaneko
Votes: 15,160
88. Ichi (2008)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Ichi is a blind woman who roams about town with her shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar), but she has exceptional sword skills with which she fights off yakuza and other villains.
Director: Fumihiko Sori | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Shidô Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Takao Osawa
Votes: 3,979
89. The Winter Butterfly (2010)
120 min | Drama, Romance
The Winter Butterfly is a story about passion and love, depicting Matsunaga a samurai, as a corrupt oppressor rather than a hero. With the emergence of a new system during the Meiji period,... See full summary »
Director: Marcus Tozini | Stars: Sam Aoyama, Ikuma Isaac Fryman, Sharon Gee, Jet Harp
Votes: 36
90. Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)
TV-MA | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A former assassin who has resolved to never kill again has his vow sorely tested.
Director: Keishi Otomo | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Yû Aoi, Munetaka Aoki
Votes: 29,023
First live action adaptation of the hit anime Samurai-X. The casting is spot on and the story is good as well as lavish production values. Although the ending is predictably cheesy I would still highly recommend it!
91. Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
TV-MA | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kenshin Himura goes up against pure evil Makoto Shishio who is attempting to overthrow the Meiji government. The fate of the country hangs in the balance as Kenshin Himura takes up the sword that he vowed to never draw again.
Director: Keishi Otomo | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Yôsuke Eguchi
Votes: 18,353
92. Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)
TV-MA | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Shishio has set sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the Meiji government and return Japan to chaos, carrying Kaoru with him. In order to stop him in time, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
Director: Keishi Otomo | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Emi Takei, Munetaka Aoki
Votes: 14,606
93. Samurai Fiction (1998)
111 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A noble young samurai searches for a thief who has stolen a precious treasure and killed one of his clansmen and meets an older samurai who tries to deter him from the violence of revenge.
Director: Hiroyuki Nakano | Stars: Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Tomoyasu Hotei, Tamaki Ogawa
Votes: 2,760
94. Samurai Wolf (1966)
75 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A charismatic ronin gets snared into a conflict between officials at a waystation, and gains the enmity of a group of thugs.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Isao Natsuyagi, Ryôhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Endô
Votes: 777
95. Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973)
81 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A ronin Shino Asu (I die Tomorrow) gets rescued by the Bohachi clan. Their leader Shirobei Daimon, charged by the Shogun with running Edo's brothels enlists him to kill clients of tea-house whores who are stealing his business.
Director: Teruo Ishii | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Gorô Ibuki, Tatsuo Endô, Ryôhei Uchida
Votes: 683
96. Shinobi No Mono 2: Vengeance (1963)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Drama
Confident that he has destroyed the Iga Ninja, the evil Oda Nobunaga continues his quest to conquer Japan. Meanwhile, Ishikawa Goemon (Ichikawa Raizo) has settled down with his wife and ... See full summary »
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Sô Yamamura, Shiho Fujimura, Mikiko Tsubouchi
Votes: 368
97. Shinobi No Mono 4: Siege (1964)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama
Tokugawa Ieyasu is the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle.... See full summary »
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Saburô Date, Midori Isomura, Ganjirô Nakamura
Votes: 233
98. Blind Woman's Curse (1970)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Crime, Horror
The head of a yakuza gang is being trailed by a mysterious, vengeful blind woman.
Director: Teruo Ishii | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Hoki Tokuda, Makoto Satô, Hideo Sunazuka
Votes: 1,636
99. Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972)
86 min | Action, Drama
Nami is an ex-convict who becomes a hostess to support a sick woman who bailed her out. In doing so, she gets involved in a local gangster's scheme to take over the bar she works for.
Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Tatsuo Umemiya, Tsunehiko Watase, Akiko Koyama
Votes: 321
100. A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story (2013)
122 min | Drama, History
During the Edo Period of Japan, an excellent cook marries the heir to a renowned cooking family. However, her husband is a terrible chef. With the help of her new mother-in-law, she begins to teach him the ways of the culinary arts.
Director: Yûzô Asahara | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kengo Kôra, Kimiko Yo, Riko Narumi
Votes: 573
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