Jidaigeki
by Mighty_Emperor | created - 02 Oct 2011 | updated - 3 months ago | PublicJidaigeki (時代劇) are, for the purposes of this list, period Japanese movies and TV, ranging from the stately samurai films to the wilder exploitation movies. As well as samurai, we have the ronin, ninja, yakuza and just simple folk. Most are relatively straightly-told tales of swordplay, but some do head off in fantastical directions.
Inclusion criteria: Really anything set before the 20th Century, although I am prepared to be flexible if it is more rural and involves swordplay but occurs in the early 20th Century. I have also included some non-Japanese films that are set in the period and include samurai (or similar).
Recurring themes: Historical stories and characters that we often see cropping up include: Miyamoto Musashi, The 47 Ronin (Chushingura), Jubei Yagyu and Shimizu no Jirocho.
Further reading: Patrick Galloway has released 2 books where he reviews 50 samurai films and gives profiles of the key directors and actors (but doesn't add much analysis or context, however, it is written in a nicely accessible way): Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook (2005) and Warring Clans, Flashing Blades: A Samurai Film Companion (2009); there is also: The Samurai Film (2007) by Alain Silver and Samurai Films (2008) by Roland Thorne. I haven't yet read Thorne's book but Silver's was exactly the kind of book I was looking for with an in-depth analysis of key directors, themes and characters, plus it includes a detailed filmography broken down by director or character/series or year - if you are looking to take your appreciation of jidaigeki onto a new level then that is the book for you.
Links/link: 50 Classic Samurai (Chambara, Jidaigeki) Films, a solid list, Jidai Geki at TV Tropes.
See also: Yakuza and ninja films, which often have a period setting.
Availability: A number of companies have done a lot of hard work finding these films and giving them high quality home media releases: Criterion, AnimEigo, Eureka and the BFI. There are obvious problems with pre-1945 films from Japan but we still have some films from that period.
Comments: As I don't have a Facebook account I cannot interact with the new comments system, so have switched it off. I will start a thread on the message board and link it in here shortly.
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1. Samurai: The Last Warrior (2004 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 67 min | Documentary, History
International Samurai expert, Dr. Stephen Turnbull, provides historical insights into these legendary warriors in this documentary program described as "powerful and intriguing" by the Los Angeles Times.
Director: Charlie Shepard | Stars: Barry Robbins, Stephen Turnbull
Votes: 49
Here to provide the thumbnail graphic, the list starts below:
aka Battle at Honnoji Temple
Shōzō Makino pretty much created the Japanese period film genre and his son Masahiro would follow in is footsteps. They both produced a lot of jidaigeki but problems with availability and information (at least for me) make it difficult to work out which of the hundreds of them belong here, but I've managed to get a few on here (and will be doing more homework on this) and you can see their profiles here for more extensive lists.
This features Oda Nobunaga the man that unified Japan under the Shogunate in the 16th Century, so he is a popular character in jidaigeki.
All of the above means it is a fitting first film for the list.
Shimizu no Jirocho was a bit of a rogue and his story has inspired hundreds of films.
5. Jiraiya (I) (1914)
Short
Another depiction of the ninja hero, starring Onoe Matsunosuke - see entry for Jiraiya Goketsu Tan-Banshi (1912)
Director: Shôzô Makino | Stars: Masahiro Makino, Matsunosuke Onoe
7. Kôchiyama to Nao-zamurai (1916)
Stars: Ichitarô Kataoka, Matsunosuke Onoe, Kijaku Ôtani, Sen'nosuke Nakamura
9. Nidaime jiraiya (1917)
Stars: Kitsuraku Arashi, Matsunosuke Onoe, Suminojo Ichikawa, Utae Nakamura
12. Chûshingura (1921)
Director: Shôzô Makino | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Sentarô Nakamura, Anezo Ichikawa, En'ichirô Jitsukawa
14. Gôketsu Jiraiya (1921)
21 min | Short, Action
The story of Jiraiya, a legendary ninja with great powers who set off on a adventure.
Director: Shôzô Makino | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Suminojo Ichikawa, Kijaku Ôtani, Chosei Kataoka
Votes: 198
Jiraiya is a ninja with supernatural powers, which include disappearing and turning himself into a frog. This means the film is odder than other period films of the time but the lack of translated intertitles makes it a bit tricky to follow the story.
Public domain, get from the Internet Archive
16. Miyamoto Musashi (1924)
Director: Yaroku Kobayashi | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, En'ichirô Jitsukawa, Kakumatsuro Arashi, Kijaku Ôtani
17. Orochi (1925)
74 min | Action, Adventure
The story of a decent samurai who is widely considered a scum and a criminal. His bad luck and numerous misunderstandings drag him down the social ladder straight to the gutter.
Director: Buntarô Futagawa | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Misao Seki, Utako Tamaki, Kensaku Haruji
Votes: 490
aka Serpent
18. Rakka no mai: zenpen (1925)
Director: Kôroku Numata | Stars: Haruko Izumi, Tsuyako Okajima, Hideya Iwaki, Kichimatsu Nakamura
aka Dance of the Falling Petals: Part 1
19. Jiraiya (1925)
Director: Tomiyasu Ikeda | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Haruko Sawamura, Kijaku Ôtani, En'ichirô Jitsukawa
20. Araki Mataemon (1925)
157 min | Action, Drama
Director: Tomiyasu Ikeda | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Gorô Kawabe, Haruko Sawamura, Kichijûrô Nakamura
21. Rakka no mai - Shûhen (1925)
Director: Tomiyasu Ikeda | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, En'ichirô Jitsukawa, Shôen Kataoka, Kajô Onoe
22. Chûshingura (1910)
76 min | Action, Drama
Earliest surviving feature film depicting legend of the 47 ronin (see Mizoguchi, Inagaki, Ichikawa, and others)
Director: Shôzô Makino | Stars: Matsunosuke Onoe, Ichinomasa Kataoka, Kitsuraku Arashi, Kijaku Ôtani
Votes: 20
23. Chuji Tabinikki Daisanbu Goyohen (1927)
107 min | Drama
Trilogy about the travels of the kindly bakuto Kunisada Chuji. Film depicts Chuji's attempt to save the geisha Oshina, a rebellion against the rigid social structure of Edo Japan. Part 3. "The Chuji Patrol"
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Hideo Nakamura, Kichiji Nakamura, Seinosuke Sakamoto
Votes: 124
24. Chuji tabi nikki: Koshu tate hen (1927)
Action
Trilogy about the travels of the kindly bakuto Kunisada Chuji. Film depicts Chuji's attempt to save the geisha Oshina, a rebellion against the rigid social structure of Edo Japan. Part 1. "Koshu Swordfighting" - First film is lost
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Ichimaru Ichikawa, Chiyoko Kinoshita, Omatsuro Arashi
Votes: 28
25. Chuji tabi nikki: Shinshu kessho hen (1927)
Action, Drama
Trilogy about the travels of the kindly bakuto Kunisada Chuji. Film depicts Chuji's attempt to save the geisha Oshina, a rebellion against the rigid social structure of Edo Japan. Part 2. "Shinshu Blood Laughter"
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Enichiro Mikawa, Hideo Nakamura, Haruo Okazaki
Votes: 48
26. Chushingura: The Truth (1928)
64 min
Lord Asano Takumi-no-Kami Naganori was charged with receiving a group of envoys from the Imperial Court in Kyoto. He was young and slightly inexperienced, so he was given the task of instructing Lord Asano in the customs of the ceremony.
Director: Shôzô Makino | Stars: Kaoru Akiyoshi, Jin'ichi Amano, Shinobu Araki, Seiichi Arao
Votes: 75
27. Shinban Yotsuya kaidan (1928)
70 min | Drama, Horror
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Taisuke Matsumoto, Kôichi Katsuragi, Naoe Fushimi, Haruko Sawamura
28. Samurai Town Story Part I (1928)
225 min | Action, Drama
Chambara (sword fighting film) about four ronins trying to save the woman they love kidnapped by the notorious Hatamoto. 8 minutes of fragments of "Ronin Street Episode 1: Beautiful Prey" were discovered and released in 2009.
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Kômei Minami, Jûrô Tanizaki, Tôichirô Negishi, Umeko Ôbayashi
Votes: 74
29. Samurai Town Story Part II (1929)
72 min
A representative film directed by Masahiro Makino, son of Shozo Makino ("the father of Japanese film"). This film lent status to ensemble casts that did not rely on famous starts. The ... See full summary »
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Shinobu Araki, Kimie Kawakami, Shimpachi Kiyoura, Tôroku Makino
Votes: 38
30. Rônin-gai - Dai-ni-wa: Gakuya-buro - Kaiketsu-hen (1929)
Drama
Directors: Masahiro Makino, Shôzô Makino | Stars: Shin'nosuke Akagi, Senzô Hirano, Kôzô Kawada, Kimie Kawakami
Votes: 8
31. Rônin-gai - Dai-san-wa: Tsukareta hitobito (1929)
Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Kunitarô Sawamura, Shinobu Araki, Tomoko Makino, Tôichirô Negishi
32. Miyamoto Musashi (I) (1929)
79 min | Drama
Director: Kintarô Inoue | Stars: Nobuko Fushimi, Seinosuke Hayashi, Ryôsuke Kagawa, Chiezô Kataoka
33. Zanjin zanbaken (1929)
125 min
In medieval Japan, a brutal and corrupt magistrate is planning to kill the child who is about to become the heir to the estate and position of the local lord and substitute his own "heir", ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Hiroshi Kaneko, Misao Seki, Sôemon Wada
Votes: 47
34. Oatsurae Jirôkichi kôshi (1931)
80 min | Action, Drama
The only completely preserved silent film directed by Daisuke Ito, this film relates the life of a legendary thief, Jirokichi the Rat in an exquisite original story and through the ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Naoe Fushimi, Nobuko Fushimi, Reizaburô Yamamoto
Votes: 155
35. The Loyal 47 Ronin (1932)
139 min | Drama
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Tomio Aoki, Jûzaburô Bandô, Kôtarô Bandô, Tsumasaburô Bandô
Votes: 30
36. The Loyal 47 Ronin (1932)
103 min | Drama
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Jûzaburô Bandô, Kôtarô Bandô, Hideo Fujino, Kazuo Hasegawa
37. A Story of Floating Weeds (1934)
Not Rated | 86 min | Drama
A kabuki actor's mistress hatches a jealous plot to bring down her lover's son.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Takeshi Sakamoto, Chôko Iida, Kôji Mitsui, Emiko Yagumo
Votes: 3,463
Released on DVD by Criterion with the remake, Floating Weeds.
39. Chûshingura - Ninjô-hen; Fukushû-hen (1934)
Drama
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Shinpachirô Asaka, Satoko Date, Sannosuke Fujikawa, Sumiko Furuya
40. Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo (1935)
92 min | Comedy, Drama
A man gets rid of a cheap pot without knowing it contains a map to a treasure. As word spreads, many join in hunting it.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Kiyozo, Kunitarô Sawamura, Reizaburô Yamamoto
Votes: 1,237
41. Yukinojô henge: Daiippen (1935)
97 min | Drama
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburô Arashi, Kokuten Kôdô, Naoe Fushimi
Votes: 60
42. Katsujinken: Araki Mataemon (1935)
Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Shinobu Araki, Kanjûrô Arashi, Kitsuemon Arashi, Tokusaburô Arashi
43. Daibosatsu tôge: dai-ippen - Kôgen itto-ryû no maki (1935)
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Fujiko Fukamizu, Ranko Hanai, Takako Irie, Junko Kinugasa
Votes: 11
44. Capricious Young Man (1936)
77 min | Comedy, Drama
Akanishi Kakita moved from the countryside to a big city. Although he comes from the samurai class, he now lives in poverty among the common people in times of rebellion, but the failed Kakita is not skilled in martial arts.
Director: Mansaku Itami | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Shôsaku Sugiyama, Sôjin Kamiyama, Yôko Umemura
Votes: 124
45. Daibosatsu tôge: Suzuka-yama no maki - Mibu Shimabara no maki (1936)
110 min
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Fujiko Fukamizu, Kobunji Ichikawa, Momonosuke Ichikawa, Takako Irie
46. Shijû-hachi-nin me (1936)
91 min
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Shinpachirô Asaka, Kunitarô Bandô, Kôtarô Bandô, Kensaku Hara
47. Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)
86 min | Drama
The lives of two slum neighbors, one of a happy-go-lucky gambler and the other of a poor ronin, converge when the two get involved with the affairs of a powerful samurai official and his gangsters.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Tsuruzô Nakamura, Chôemon Bandô
Votes: 2,299
49. Chikemuri Takadanobaba (1937)
57 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
The ronin Nakayama Yasubei delights in fighting. Various dramas unfold and lead toward Yasubei getting entangled against 18 opponents in a fight to the death.
Directors: Hiroshi Inagaki, Masahiro Makino | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Tokumaro Dan, Komako Hara, Shunzaburo Iba
Votes: 59
50. Yoshida Palace (1937)
Drama
Director: Shichinosuke Oshimoto | Stars: Seishirô Hara, Kôemon Kataoka, Kôichi Katsuragi, Taisuke Matsumoto
51. Jiraiya (1937)
56 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Reiko Hoshi, Gorô Kawabe, Ryôsuke Kagawa
Votes: 18
53. Akagaki Genzô (1938)
Director: Tomiyasu Ikeda | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Kogiku Hanayagi, Kensaku Hara, Kobunji Ichikawa
54. Kengô Araki Mataemon (1938)
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Shinobu Araki, Tokusaburô Arashi, Shinpachirô Asaka, Ryônosuke Azuma
55. Oshidori utagassen (1939)
69 min | Comedy, Musical
Oharu is in love with a ronin who lives next door. A mistake puts Oharu's father deeply in debt to the local lord and he is confronted with having to sell Oharu in order to pay it off.
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryôsuke Kagawa, Takashi Shimura, Mitsuru Tôyama
Votes: 215
56. Chushingura (Zen) (1939)
78 min | Drama
Toho All-Star Cast.
Director: Kajirô Yamamoto | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarô Kurokawa, Setsuko Hara
57. Chushingura (Go) (1939)
89 min | Drama
Toho All-Star Cast.
Director: Kajirô Yamamoto | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarô Kurokawa, Setsuko Hara
Votes: 29
58. Rônin fubuki (1939)
89 min
Director: Katsuhiko Kondo | Stars: Sachiko Chiba, Ranko Hanai, Kazuo Hasegawa, Asataro Ichikawa
59. Nishikie edosugata hatamoto to machiyakko (1939)
65 min | Drama
A cheerful period drama, sprinkled with comical scenes tells the story of a loyal and handsome Edo servant who fights to help his older brother marry the woman he loves.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Shinpachirô Asaka, Utaemon Ichikawa, Yaeko Kumoi, Wakako Kunitomo
Votes: 36
60. Maboroshi-jô no bakeneko (1939)
Drama
Director: Seiji Suezaki | Stars: Kyôtarô Arashi, Kôzaburô Arashi, Kyôko Arishima, Ichiman Furukawa
62. Miyamoto Musashi - Dai-ichi-bu: Kusawake no hitobito - Dai-ni-bu: Eitatsu no mon (1940)
Drama
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Kensaku Hara, Kobunji Ichikawa, Ryôsuke Kagawa, Chiezô Kataoka
Votes: 18
63. Zoku Shimizu minato (1940)
Action
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Torazo Hirosawa, Kunitarô Sawamura, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 19
64. Oda Nobunaga (1940)
91 min | Biography, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Takashi Shimura, Eiji Takagi, Goro Abe
Votes: 9
65. The 47 Ronin (1941)
241 min | Drama, History
The legendary Forty-seven ronin plot to avenge the death of their lord, Asano Naganori, by killing Kira Yoshinaka, a shogunate official responsible for Asano being forced to commit seppuku.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Yoshizaburo Arashi, Utaemon Ichikawa, Kan'emon Nakamura
Votes: 2,675
66. Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijoji ketto (1942)
86 min
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Shinpachirô Asaka, Sannosuke Fujikawa, Kaoru Futaba, Haruyo Ichikawa
67. Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
Not Rated | 79 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Sugata, a young man, struggles to learn the nuance and meaning of judo, and in doing so comes to learn something of the meaning of life.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata
Votes: 5,631
About Shiro Saigo, an early Judo proponent.
68. The Life of Matsu the Untamed (1943)
100 min | Drama
Matsugoro is a poor rickshaw driver whose animated spirit and optimistic demeanor make him a favorite of the town. Matsu helps an injured boy, Toshio, and is hired by the boy's parents.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Keiko Sonoi, Yasushi Nagata, Kamon Kawamura
Votes: 221
aka The Life of Matsu the Untamed
69. Kettô Banjakuzaka (1943)
75 min
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Shinobu Araki, Tarô Bandô, Kensaku Hara, Haruyo Ichikawa
Votes: 7
70. Miyamoto Musashi (1944)
53 min | Drama
Shinobu and her brother Genichiro plead with the famous swordsman Musashi Miyamoto to teach them swordsmanship to avenge their father's death. The killers of their father see the sister and... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Kigoro Ikushima, Kinuyo Tanaka
Votes: 273
71. Kikuchi sembon-yari: Shidonî tokubetsu kôgeki-tai (1944)
99 min | Action, Drama, History
Directors: Tomiyasu Ikeda, Sentarô Shirai | Stars: Kanzo Yoshii, Utaemon Ichikawa, Kusuo Abe, Seiji Taki
72. The Famous Sword Bijomaru (1945)
65 min | Drama
Kiyone Sakurai, an apprentice swordmaker makes a sword for his guardian, Kozaemon Onoda. Onoda breaks the sword while defending his lord which eventually leads to his death at the hands of ... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Shôtarô Hanayagi, Kan Ishii, Eijirô Yanagi, Ichijirô Ôya
Votes: 398
73. Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two (1945)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Sugata returns to prove his judo mastery in a match against Western opponents.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Akitake Kôno
Votes: 2,704
74. The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945)
Not Rated | 59 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
A Japanese general and his men disguise themselves as monks in order to pass an enemy border patrol.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Ken'ichi Enomoto, Masayuki Mori
Votes: 4,368
75. A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo (1945)
77 min | War
Tale of martial skill set in the Edo era, and completed with difficulty during the last months of WWII: the son of an archer ,who killed himself after losing a contest, takes up his father's former profession.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Kazuo Hasegawa, Kinuyo Tanaka, Senshô Ichikawa, Akitake Kôno
Votes: 144
76. Tôkai suikoden (1945)
Drama
Directors: Hiroshi Inagaki, Daisuke Itô | Stars: Yumeko Aizome, Tsumasaburô Bandô, Kamatari Fujiwara, Haruyo Ichikawa
Votes: 9
77. Surônin makaritôru (1947)
80 min | Action, Drama
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Ryûtarô Ôtomo, Kusuo Abe, Akihiko Katayama
Votes: 12
78. Ishimatsu of the Forest (1949)
97 min | Drama
Director: Kôzaburô Yoshimura | Stars: Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Chôko Iida, Reikichi Kawamura
Mori no Ishimatsu was Shimizu no Jirocho's one-eyed henchman.
79. Jakoman and Tetsu (1949)
91 min | Drama
In a village subsisting on it herring fishery, a one-eyed criminal named Jakoman terrorizes the inhabitants. One of them, the son of the head of one of the fish companies by the name of Tetsu, decides to overthrow Jakoman and his cohorts.
Director: Senkichi Taniguchi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Yuriko Hamada, Izumi Hara
Votes: 57
80. The Ghost of Yotsuya: Part I (1949)
85 min | Horror
Iemon Tamiya is an impoverished master-less samurai who craves a better life, which he cannot have because of his marriage to Oiwa, who is completely devoted to her husband.
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Ken Uehara, Hisako Yamane, Haruko Sugimura
Votes: 322
81. 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: 180,507 | Gross: $0.10M
82. Midare-boshi Kôjin-yama (1950)
77 min
Director: Ryô Hagiwara | Stars: Kensaku Hara, Komako Hara, Utaemon Ichikawa, Chôko Iida
83. Sasaki Kojirô (1950)
116 min
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Tomoemon Otani, Hisako Yamane, Hideko Takamine, Yuriko Hamada
Votes: 39
84. Ore wa yôjimbô (1950)
89 min | Action, Drama
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Achako Hanabishi, Daisuke Katô
Votes: 14
85. Senritu (1950)
Action, Drama
Director: Hideo Sekigawa | Stars: Utaemon Ichikawa, Haruyo Ichikawa
86. Wakasama samurai torimonochô: nazo no nômen yashiki (1950)
87 min
Director: Nobuo Nakagawa | Stars: Yatarô Kurokawa, Denjirô Ôkôchi, Seizaburô Kawazu, Kyôko Kagawa
87. Kanketsu Sasaki Kojirô: Ganryû-jima kettô (1951)
98 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Master swordsman Kojiro Sasaki is not content with the knowledge of his own power and constantly seeks to impress it upon others. Another great samurai swordsman, Musashi Miyamoto, has ... See full summary »
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Tomoemon Otani, Toshirô Mifune, Hisako Yamane, Shin Tokudaiji
Votes: 57
aka Conclusion of Kojiro Sasaki: Duel on Ganryu Island or Sasaki Kojirô 3
88. Oedo gonin otoko (1951)
132 min | Action, Drama, History
During the 17th Century bands of hatamoto, samurai vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate, were causing havoc in the new capital city of Edo. Opposing them was Banzui-in Chobei,whose sole aim ... See full summary »
Director: Daisuke Itô | Stars: Tsumasaburô Bandô, Utaemon Ichikawa, Isuzu Yamada, Kôkichi Takada
Votes: 83
89. Zoku Sasaki Kojirô (1951)
116 min | Action, Drama
Second part of the saga about Sasaki Kojirô.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Tomoemon Otani, Hideko Takamine, Yuriko Hamada, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata
Votes: 12
90. 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: 7,645
91. Jirochô sangokushi: nagurikomi kôjinyama (1952)
82 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Akio Kobori, Setsuko Wakayama, Jun Tazaki, Seizaburô Kawazu
Votes: 22
Based on Genzo Murakami's novel series about Shimizu no Jirocho, which spawned dozens of films - Masahiro Makino would hammer out nine of these films in the space of a couple of years.
92. Vendetta of a Samurai (1952)
82 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Mataemon Araki, a renowned swordsman, helps a young man find vengeance.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yuriko Hamada, Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Katayama
Votes: 283
93. Zoku Akôjô (1952)
100 min
Director: Ryô Hagiwara | Stars: Tatsuya Ishiguro, Kunio Kaga, Chiezô Kataoka, Yoshi Katô
94. Akôjô (1952)
81 min | Drama
Director: Ryô Hagiwara | Stars: Kusuo Abe, Kensaku Hara, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Kunio Kaga
95. Yatarô gasa: zenkôhen (1952)
159 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Keiko Kishi, Seizaburô Kawazu, Kôkichi Takada
96. 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: 4,278
97. 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: 25,820 | Gross: $0.01M
98. Jirochô sangokushi: Jirochô hatsutabi (1953)
83 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Akio Kobori, Setsuko Wakayama, Seizaburô Kawazu, Jun Tazaki
Votes: 22
Jirocho Sangokushi 2: First Journey
99. Jirochô sangokushi: Jirochô to Ishimatsu (1953)
87 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Akio Kobori, Hisaya Morishige, Setsuko Wakayama, Asami Kuji
Votes: 30
Jirocho Sangokushi 3: Jirocho and Ishimatsu
100. Jirochô sangokushi: seizoroi Shimizu Minato (1953)
80 min | Action, Drama
Director: Masahiro Makino | Stars: Akio Kobori, Hisaya Morishige, Seizaburô Kawazu, Jun Tazaki
Votes: 25
Jirocho Sangokushi 4: All Gathered at Shimizu Harbor
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