Jidaigeki
by nickolas_rohr | created - 05 Mar 2022 | updated - 4 weeks ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
PG-13 | 145 min | Drama, Romance
The heartwarming tale of Nitta Sayuri, a young Japanese woman who transcended from her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Director: Rob Marshall | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Suzuka Ohgo
Votes: 160,739 | Gross: $57.49M
2. The Last Samurai (2003)
R | 154 min | Action, Drama
Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton
Votes: 471,036 | Gross: $111.11M
3. Silence (I) (2016)
R | 161 min | Drama, History
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 122,972 | Gross: $7.10M
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: 9,509
5. The Terror (2018–2025)
TV-14 | 60 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
Supernatural, semihistorical, horror anthology series, where each season is inspired by a different infamous or mysterious real life historical tragedy.
Stars: Jared Harris, Derek Mio, Tobias Menzies, Kiki Sukezane
Votes: 51,360
6. 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
7. 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: 7,644
8. 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: 25,810 | Gross: $0.01M
9. 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: 18,225
10. Taira Clan Saga (1955)
108 min | Drama, History
After his father is not rewarded for his military achievements, Taira Kiyomori rebels against the court and the monks who rule the country. He also falls in love with Tokiko and discovers unsettling revelations about his parentage.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 1,101
11. 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: 180,432 | Gross: $0.10M
12. 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: 366,787 | Gross: $0.27M
13. 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: 55,940
14. 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: 42,235
15. 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: 131,345
16. 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: 41,123
17. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,100
18. Dersu Uzala (1975)
G | 142 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The Russian army sends an explorer on an expedition to the snowy Siberian wilderness where he makes friends with a seasoned local hunter.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Maksim Munzuk, Yuriy Solomin, Mikhail Bychkov, Vladimir Khrulyov
Votes: 33,511
19. 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: 38,172
20. 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: 136,187 | Gross: $4.14M
21. 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: 4,276
22. An Actor's Revenge (1963)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama
Yukinojo, a Kabuki actor, seeks revenge by destroying the three men who caused the deaths of his parents. Also involved are the daughter of one of Yukinojo's targets, two master thieves, and a swordsman who himself is out to kill Yukinojo.
Director: Kon Ichikawa | Stars: Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto, Ayako Wakao, Eiji Funakoshi
Votes: 2,869
23. 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: 6,961
24. 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: 6,699
25. 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
26. 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: 818
27. 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: 900
28. The Ballad of Narayama (1958)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama
A kabuki theatre-inflected story about a poor village whose people have to be carried to a nearby mountain to die once they get old.
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Teiji Takahashi, Yûko Mochizuki, Danko Ichikawa
Votes: 3,787
29. The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959)
76 min | Horror
The ghost of a samurai's wife takes revenge on her husband.
Director: Nobuo Nakagawa | Stars: Shigeru Amachi, Noriko Kitazawa, Katsuko Wakasugi, Shuntarô Emi
Votes: 1,818
30. The Sinners of Hell (1960)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A group of sinners involved in interconnected tales of murder, revenge, deceit and adultery all meet at the Gates of Hell.
Director: Nobuo Nakagawa | Stars: Shigeru Amachi, Utako Mitsuya, Yôichi Numata, Hiroshi Hayashi
Votes: 4,573
31. Onnakeizu (1962)
99 min | Drama, Romance
Adaptation of a famous Kyouka Izumi novel. Set in the early 1900's, it tells the story of the impossible love between a young scholar a beautiful geisha.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Michiyo Kogure, Masayo Banri, Eiji Funakoshi
Votes: 26
32. Satan's Sword (1960)
106 min | Action, Drama
The story follows the life of Ryunosuke Tsukue, an amoral samurai and a master swordsman with an unorthodox style.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôjirô Hongô, Tamao Nakamura, Fujiko Yamamoto
Votes: 277
33. Satan's Sword II (1960)
90 min | Drama, Action
Ryunosuke awakens in the forest having no more idea what happened that previous night, as he'd been drunk & hallucinatory. He is surrounded by corpses & can surmise it's his own handiwork.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Kôjirô Hongô, Tamao Nakamura, Fujiko Yamamoto
Votes: 188
34. Destiny's Son (1962)
71 min | Action, Drama
A samurai seeks revenge and redemption after his family is executed by a rival clan.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Mayumi Nagisa, Masayo Banri
Votes: 522
35. Return of Daimajin (1966)
Not Rated | 79 min | Drama, Fantasy
Giant statue exacts revenge upon those who conquer its worshippers.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Shiho Fujimura, Tarô Marui, Takashi Kanda
Votes: 974
36. Shogun Assassin (1980)
R | 85 min | Action, Adventure
When the wife of the Shogun's Decapitator is murdered and he is ordered to commit suicide by the paranoid Shogun, he and his four-year-old son escape and become assassins for hire, embarking on a journey of blood and violent death.
Directors: Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Shôgen Nitta
Votes: 11,237
37. 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
38. 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: 8,876
39. 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: 5,604
40. 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: 4,958
41. 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: 6,858
42. 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: 4,298
43. 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: 4,619
44. Satan's Sword 3: The Final Chapter (1961)
100 min | Action, Drama
Disguised as a beggar monk, Ryunosuke's harrassed along the road by the rowdy members of a country dojo or fencing school malingering outside their fencing hall.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Katsuhiko Kobayashi, Kôjirô Hongô
Votes: 166
45. Wrath of Daimajin (1966)
Not Rated | 87 min | Fantasy
In a mountainous region of Japan, Lord Arakawa kidnaps the men of nearby villages to use as slave labor, producing gunpowder from his sulfur pits. A band of young boys decide to rescue their enslaved fathers on their own.
Director: Kazuo Mori | Stars: Hideki Ninomiya, Shinji Hori, Masahide Iizuka, Muneyuki Nagatomo
Votes: 839
46. 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: 68,640
47. 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: 19,984
48. 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: 14,089
49. The Snow Woman (1968)
80 min | Horror, Romance
The lives of a master sculptor and his young apprentice are changed forever when they meet an evil witch during a snow storm.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Shiho Fujimura, Akira Ishihama, Machiko Hasegawa, Taketoshi Naitô
Votes: 654
50. 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: 21,857
51. 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: 8,575
52. Daimajin (1966)
Unrated | 84 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A giant stone statue comes to life to protect the residents of a small town against the depradations of an evil warlord.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Miwa Takada, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Jun Fujimaki, Ryûtarô Gomi
Votes: 1,889
53. Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968)
Not Rated | 79 min | Horror
The local yôkai (Japanese spirits) interfere to avenge a murder and thwart the plans of corrupt officials.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Jun Fujimaki, Miwa Takada, Masaru Hiraizumi, Mikiko Tsubouchi
Votes: 957
54. Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969)
Not Rated | 78 min | Action, Horror, Mystery
The murder of an old man on sacred grounds provokes the intervention of vengeful yôkai (Japanese spirits.)
Directors: Yoshiyuki Kuroda, Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Pepe Hozumi, Masami Furukido, Mutsuhiro
Votes: 450
55. Assassination (1964)
104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 1863, when Americans warships approach Japan, a enigmatic ronin becomes a important figure in a complex game of power between the Shogunate and the empire.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Eiji Okada, Isao Kimura
Votes: 969
56. 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
57. Double Suicide (1969)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, Shizue Kawarazaki, Tokie Hidari
Votes: 2,603
58. Himiko (1974)
100 min | Drama, Fantasy, History
A freestyle, imagined telling of the life of shaman queen Himiko, who falls in love with her half-brother, making her powers weaken thus putting her position to risk.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Shima Iwashita, Masao Kusakari, Rie Yokoyama, Chôichirô Kawarasaki
Votes: 734
59. Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A mountain man captures a beautiful, but a manipulative city woman and goes to excessive lengths to please her every whim.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Shima Iwashita, Hiroko Isayama, Kô Nishimura
Votes: 1,100
60. Ballad of Orin (1977)
109 min | Drama
A blind traveling musician is abused and oppressed while she tours the country, even though the modern world imposes changes on people's behavior.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Shima Iwashita, Yoshio Harada, Tomoko Naraoka, Kirin Kiki
Votes: 644
61. Demon Pond (1979)
123 min | Fantasy, Romance
Outside of a small village in Japan, a mysterious pond is inhabited by mythic creatures. Their story is of revenge, tragedy, and the power of real love. A classical tale which translates ... See full summary »
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Tamasaburô Bandô, Gô Katô, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kôji Nanbara
Votes: 536
62. Chinmoku (1971)
129 min | Drama, History
Two Jesuit priests encounter persecution when they travel to Japan in the 17th century to spread Christianity and to locate their mentor.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: David Lampson, Don Kenny, Tetsurô Tanba, Mako
Votes: 1,182
63. 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: 2,508
64. 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: 12,069
65. 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: 3,175
66. 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: 798
67. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Zatoichi tries to unrest the mob rule over a small village all while the gang leader's bodyguard is actually the Yojimbo, secretly taking the gang down from the inside. Will the two heroes realize in time that they are on the same side?
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Shintarô Katsu, Ayako Wakao, Osamu Takizawa
Votes: 2,828
68. 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
69. 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: 773
70. Samurai Wolf II (1967)
72 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kiba is caught in the intrigue between a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical, betrayed swordsman, a manipulative lady and an arrogant dojo master.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Isao Natsuyagi, Ichirô Nakatani, Bin Amatsu, Yûko Kusunoki
Votes: 499
71. Hitokiri (1969)
140 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima, Yûjirô Ishihara
Votes: 1,228
72. 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
73. 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
74. The Great Yokai War (2005)
PG-13 | 124 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A young boy is chosen as the defender of good and must team up with Japan's ancient spirits and creatures of lore to attempt to destroy the forces of evil.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Chiaki Kuriyama, Bunta Sugawara
Votes: 2,667
75. The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968)
82 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Extremely fun Daiei adaptation of two shojo horror manga into a single, crazily FX-laden story about two rival, shape-shifting sisters who are on less than good terms. However, when an evil... See full summary »
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Yûko Hamada, Sachiko Meguro, Yachie Matsui, Mayumi Takahashi
Votes: 520
76. 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: 382
77. Horrors of Malformed Men (1969)
Not Rated | 99 min | Horror
After escaping from an insane asylum, a medical student assumes the identity of a mysterious dead man, who appeared to be his doppelganger, and gets lured to a sinister island ruled by a mad scientist and his malformed men.
Director: Teruo Ishii | Stars: Teruo Yoshida, Yukie Kagawa, Teruko Yumi, Mitsuko Aoi
Votes: 1,884
78. Lake of Dracula (1971)
Not Rated | 82 min | Horror
A doctor investigates the murders of several women at a lakeside resort. His investigation leads him to believe that a vampire is responsible for the murders. He sets out to track the vampire down.
Director: Michio Yamamoto | Stars: Chôei Takahashi, Sanae Emi, Midori Fujita, Shin Kishida
Votes: 1,070
79. The Vampire Doll (1970)
Not Rated | 85 min | Horror
Keiko and her friend are trying to find her missing brother after he disappeared visiting his girlfriend Yuko.
Director: Michio Yamamoto | Stars: Kayo Matsuo, Akira Nakao, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yôko Minakaze
Votes: 1,345
80. Evil of Dracula (1974)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Horror
A teacher assumes a position at a school that's run by a vampire.
Director: Michio Yamamoto | Stars: Toshio Kurosawa, Kunie Tanaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Shin Kishida
Votes: 892
81. 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: 1,667
82. The Fall of Ako Castle (1978)
159 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Shin'ichi Chiba, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Tsunehiko Watase, Masaomi Kondô
Votes: 592
83. Virus (1980)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
After a virus devastates the global human population, survivors in Antarctica desperately try to find a cure and save the human race.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Masao Kusakari, Tsunehiko Watase, Isao Natsuyagi, Shin'ichi Chiba
Votes: 3,041
84. 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: 1,186
85. 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: 16,298
86. 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: 4,213
87. The Ghost-Cat Cursed Wall (1958)
88 min | Horror
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Chieko Murata, Mieko Kondô, Akio Kobori
Votes: 20
88. House (1977)
Not Rated | 88 min | Comedy, Horror
A schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted.
Director: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi | Stars: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ôba, Ai Matsubara
Votes: 33,720
89. Shogun (1980)
TV-MA | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, History
An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan.
Stars: Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Shimada, Furankî Sakai
Votes: 15,619
90. Shogun (1980 TV Movie)
159 min | Adventure, Drama, History
An English navigator becomes both pawn and player in the deadly political games in feudal Japan.
Director: Jerry London | Stars: Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Shimada, Furankî Sakai
Votes: 5,057
91. Shōgun (2024)
TV-MA | Adventure, Drama, History
When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.
Stars: Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Yûki Kedôin
Votes: 94,296
92. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A fictionalized account in four chapters of the life of celebrated Japanese writer Yukio Mishima.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Ken Ogata, Masayuki Shionoya, Hiroshi Mikami, Junya Fukuda
Votes: 13,763 | Gross: $0.44M
93. Wuthering Heights (1988)
143 min | Drama
A retelling of Emily Bronte's tale of vengeance and obsessive love, set in medieval Japan.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Yûsaku Matsuda, Yûko Tanaka, Tatsuo Nadaka, Eri Ishida
Votes: 292
94. Heaven and Earth (1990)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In 16th century Japan, two samurai engage in massive battles across the countryside, one attempting to conquer and the other attempting to defend his land while repressing his love for a woman after taking a vow of celibacy.
Director: Haruki Kadokawa | Stars: Takaaki Enoki, Masahiko Tsugawa, Atsuko Asano, Naomi Zaizen
Votes: 1,141 | Gross: $0.31M
95. 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: 8,072 | Gross: $0.05M
96. 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: 4,461
97. Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2000)
138 min | Action, History
Benkei, a master fighter and killer, vows never to take another life after his conversion to Buddhism. His faith in pacifism, however, is shaken and ultimately broken by the attacks from a ... See full summary »
Director: Gakuryû Ishii | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Masatoshi Nagase, Daisuke Ryû, Masakatsu Funaki
Votes: 914
98. 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: 25,502
99. 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: 7,201 | Gross: $0.04M
100. 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: 4,284 | Gross: $0.02M
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