Recently in Tokugawa / Edo Era Category

Sword of Doom
[Dai-bosatsu tôge]

大菩薩峠

Genre: Evil Mind, Evil Sword Samurai Tale
Director: Okamoto Kihachi (1966)

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The principles of samurai bushido are in sharp focus here, demonstrating the zen-like connection between the swordsman's mind and his use of the blade. Sword of Doom examines an unruly samurai with ruthless sword skills whose ego and moral deficiencies lead him down a path of ultimate destruction. This is truly a classic samurai film in that it is wholly about the bushido mentality and how one's moral character and discipline ultimately decide one's fate.

Incident at Blood Pass [Machibuse]

待ち伏せ

Genre: Yojimbo Samurai Tale
Director: Inagaki Hiroshi (1970)

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A rogue ronin samurai is hired by a mysterious man to travel to a snowy mountain pass and wait for further instructions. Along the way he rescues an abused maiden who asks to accompany him until he reaches his destination. Once there, the samurai encounters a hodge-podge of seemingly innocuous local characters who unbeknownst to him are plotting a major ambush of an official caravan soon to pass their way. This is the last of Toshiro Mifune's "Yojimbo" films.

The Hidden Blade
[Kakushi-ken: oni no tsume]

隠し剣 鬼の爪

Genre: Existential Samurai Drama

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Faced with declining social status in a quickly changing world, the samurai Katagiri gradually realizes that his personal purpose and meaning are slipping away. Although he tries to create for himself a situation of happiness, social expectations regarding the samurai class force him to abandon even that. Then, when Katagiri's contemplations are at their deepest, his superiors call on him to assassinate a political rebel, his closest friend.

Edo Porn
[Hokusai Manga]

北斎漫画

Genre: Dramatized Biography of Artist Hokusai Katsushika

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This is a biographical film which follows the struggles of Edo-era artist Hokusai from his poorest beginnings to his famed accomplishments, including his notorious libidinous drawings. Though risque in much of what is depicts, this comes across as a straight-forward jidai-geki exploring a well-known historical figure's life and obsessions.

Kunoichi: Lady Ninja [Kunoichi ninpocho Yagyu gaiden]

くノ一忍法帖　柳生外伝

Genre: Mythical Schlock Ninja-ette Adventure [Late Edo/Tokugawa Era]

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Though the last 7 daughters of the Hori clan have hidden as nuns in a convent, the Evil Lord of Aizu soon comes knocking. When they discover that their father has been captured and killed by the Evil Lord, they swear amongst themselves to avenge their father's death by unleashing the hidden Ninja Magic within themselves. Under the tutelage of master samurai Yagyu Jubei, the 7 soon find themselves nipple-deep in disaster.

Kunoichi: Deadly Mirage [Genma Sappocho: Shensengumi Hishou]

幻魔殺法帖～新選組秘抄

Genre: Buxom Ninja-ette Monster Showdown
Director: Akiyama Yutaka (1997)

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When the Shinsen Clan learns of a plot to overthrow the Tokugawa government, they send out their five remaining ninjas, all women of the Shiryu bloodline. While battling numerous adversaries to intercept a secret letter outlining the details of the planned subversion, a bizarre evil is unleashed by a well-meaning monk attempting to resurrect a dead soldier. What ensues is a whole lotta naked writhing and a battle of semi-epic proportions with zombies intent on taking over the world or something.

Azumi 2 [Azumi 2: Love or Death]

あずみ2

Genre: Samurai Ninja Action

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Azumi and Nagara, the last remaining assassins of Gessai's trained group, attempt to complete their mission against all odds. When old rebel alliances join with formidable ninja warriors, the demise of our noble-willed assassins seems assured. Unless...

The Shogun's Samurai : Yagyu Clan Conspiracy
[Yagyû Ichizoku no Inbô]

柳生一族の陰謀

Genre: Quasi-historical Samurai Action/Thriller [Early Tokugawa Era]

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This intriguing history-based fiction explores the rivalry between the two sons of Tokugawa Hidetada over the succession to the Shogunate following the sudden death of their father. Following the rules of aristocratic propriety, the brothers must resort to strategically underming one another rather than open warfare. And here the loyalty of the Yagyu family of swordmasters proves critical, eventually tipping the balance of the outcome.

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
[Shinobi]

忍

Genre: War and Love Ninja-style

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This well-rendered tale covers the last days of the centuries old feud between Japan's two most formidable ninja clans, the Koga and the Iga. After bringing peace to a unified Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu deems both clans of warrior ninjas a threat to his hard won stability, and commands that they face each other in a battle to the death. Trained since childhood as assasins, most gladly dash into battle and thus toward mutual annihilation. Only a secret relationship between the two clans' leaders provides any hope for their villages' survival.

Goyokin [Goyoukin]

御用金

Genre: Classic Samurai Revenge Tale

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Years after being forced to participate in a bloody massacre of innocent townspeople, Wakizaka Magobei returns to the scene of the crime after hearing that the regional ruler intends to once again commit the same atrocity. Goyokin is a well-drawn and engaging traditional samurai tale starring the top talent of the era. This is definitely one to see.

Legend of the Devil
[Shuranosuke zanma-ken: Yôma densetsu]

修羅之介斬魔剣　妖魔伝説

Genre: Low Budget Devil-Lacking Samurai Adventure

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The brooding pretty-boy samurai Sasaki Shuranosuke finds himself embroiled in a complicated plot involving vanquished ninja clans, hidden treasure, and the mysterious power of a pair of ancient swords. And behind it all are some seemingly indestructible master minds poised to defeat him in order to bring about a diabolical revolution. Sometimes schlock, sometimes poseur, this remains a good rainy-day samurai flick if you need one.

Ronin Gai [Samurai/Ronin Street]

浪人街

Genre: Rough and Tumble Samurai Tale

Setting: Late Edo/Tokugawa Era

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Ronin Gai is an entertaining classic samurai tale pitting an odd assortment of unemployed samurai (ronin) against a formidable troop of Tokugawan samurai terrorizing the men and women of their small rural village. Filled to the brim with unkempt and morally questionable characters a new twist is added to this tale of honor from unlikely sources, where the underdogs here would in most other films constitute mere scoundrels.

The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
[Kaii Utsunomiya Tsuritenjo]

怪異宇都宮釣天井

Genre: Tokugawa-Era Power Politics and Ghosts

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While Tokugawa Iemitsu prepares to travel from the Edo capitol to the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, one of his astute spies discovers a possible assassination plot scheduled to take place during the Shogun's stop at Utsunomiya Castle. This is a wonderfully quaint historical piece and director Nakagawa Nobuo's first ghost tale.

Ghosts of Kasane Swamp
[Kaidan Kasane ga Fuchi]

怪談累が渕 / 怪談かさねが渕

Genre: Classic Japanese Horror

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The blind Soetsu lives with a loving wife and their young daughter in an adequate home supported by Soetsu's skill as a masseuse. On a wintery eve, Soetsu decides to visit a neighboring nobleman to who he had lent money over a year ago in the hopes of having the sum returned to him. But upon hearing Soetsu's request, the arrogant and ill-tempered samurai murders Soetsu and has his body dumped in nearby Kasane Swamp. This sets off a chain of events which not only drive the samurai to madness but will also take from him and his entire household what they hold most dearly.

Mansion of the Ghost Cat (aka Black Cat Mansion)
[Borei Kaibyo Yashiki]

亡霊怪猫屋敷

Genre: Classic Japanese Horror

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When Dr. Kuzumi moves his practice to the countryside in order to allow his wife to regain her health, little does he realize that the old mansion they have rented "possesses" a notorious history of its own. When a mysterious old woman repeatedly appears, apparently with the intent of killing his wife, what he initially believes to be hallucinations soon leads him to the local buddhist priest who recollects for him the notorious history of the the house. This is a creepy classic horror tale which conjours up both a whirlwind of Japanese superstition and history.