Shogun's Samurai, is a 1978 Japanese historical martial arts film directed and co-written by Kinji Fukasaku. This film is the first of two unrelated Fukasaku films starring Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba as Jubei Mitsuyoshi Yagyu, with the other being Samurai Reincarnation.
In 1624, Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate dies at Edo Castle. His taster, Komuro Kihei, also commits suicide, leading to suspicions of poisoning. Hidetada's eldest son, Iemitsu, is set to inherit, but Hidetada prefers his second son, Tadanaga, who is bright and admired. Hidetada’s wife, Oeyo, uses her influence to back Tadanaga, while other ministers support Iemitsu. The scheming nobles Sanjo Saneeda and Karasuma Ayamaro plot for the government’s downfall.
Ninjas hired by Doi infiltrate the shogun's tomb and cut out his heart, but it is stolen by Yagyu's daughter, Akane. Yagyu determines Hidetada was poisoned and confronts Chamberlain Matsudaira and Lady Kasuga. Matsudaira admits to poisoning Hidetada, explaining that Kihei administered the arsenic.
Meanwhile, the lovers Hayate and Mon become independent Negoro fighters seeking to reclaim their homeland. They receive a request, ostensibly from Tadanaga, to support the young prince. Jubei joins them and helps fend off Koga ninja spies. Tadanaga confronts Iemitsu about the poisoning, but his claims are denied, and Iemitsu refuses to allow the body to be examined.
Doi resigns, citing illness. Iemitsu appoints Matsudaira as Chief Chamberlain and Yagyu as Inspector General, preparing for Tadanaga's potential coup. The nobles in Kyoto refuse to take sides, forcing the brothers to resolve their conflict independently. Various powerful lords, including Ogasawara Genshinsai, support Tadanaga, hoping for political gains.
The Yagyu siblings and Negoro warriors attack Doi, but are stopped by Karasuma Ayamaro, who kills one of Yagyu's sons. Mon infiltrates Lady Kasuga's harem to guard Iemitsu. Genshinsai challenges Yagyu but is injured by Jubei during the fight. Seeking aid, Genshinsai enlists his former apprentice Yukinojo, who disguises as a handmaiden and attacks Iemitsu. Mon saves Iemitsu but is injured.
A battle on Minobu Road sees Sagenta and Akane killed. Jubei is sent to Kyoto to eliminate troublesome nobles. He kills Lord Ayamaro and accuses Sanjo Saneeda of attempting to fight Tokugawa and restore imperial control.
Iemitsu plans to seek the emperor's support in Kyoto to secure his position as the new shogun, but Tadanaga attempts to reach the emperor first. A trap at Kisei River leads to a deadly ambush. Tadanaga realizes the trap and retreats.
Following Yagyu's advice, Iemitsu denounces Tadanaga, gaining the support of the lords. Even Lord Date sides with Iemitsu, and Tadanaga’s estate is occupied. Tadanaga surrenders to spare his men, but his retainer Bekki charges at Ando's men and is killed. Tadanaga is exiled to Takasaki. Jubei becomes a wandering ronin.
Okuni performs for the lord of Owari at Nagoya Castle. Sanza, blinded during the attack on Iemitsu, explains the betrayal. Yagyu orders Tadanaga to commit seppuku, which he does. Most Negoro warriors are slaughtered by imperial soldiers. Sanza kills Okuni at her request, and Genshinsai is killed by Yagyu in a final duel. Jubei confronts the traitor Matajuro and learns of the massacre.
Iemitsu becomes shogun and sends Yagyu a message that the Yagyu Shikage school will continue. Jubei beheads Iemitsu and throws the head at Yagyu's feet, then chops off Yagyu's right hand. Yagyu wanders away, insisting it must be a dream.
See also
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Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (Japanese: Hepburn: Rurōni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan-) is a Japanese manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in 1878, during the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, the story follows a former assassin known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his role in the turbulent Bakumatsu period, he adopts the identity of Himura Kenshin, a wandering swordsman who vows never to kill again. He dedicates his life to protecting the people of Japan. Watsuki crafted this series with the intent to create a unique shōnen manga, distinguishing it with a protagonist who is a former assassin and a narrative that becomes increasingly serious as it progresses.
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Samurai Spy
Samurai Spy (Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke), also known as Spy Hunter, is a 1965 film directed by Masahiro Shinoda, adapted from a novel by Koji Nakada. The film follows the legendary ninja Sasuke Sarutobi as he hunts the elusive spy Nojiri, while a shadowy figure named Sakon leads a group of men with their own designs on Nojiri. As the pursuit unfolds, the lines between allies and enemies blur, leaving everyone unsure of each other's true allegiance. Created during the height of the Cold War, the movie reflects the complexities and shifting loyalties of spies caught in the power struggles of their era.
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Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Japanese: Hepburn: Miyamoto Musashi Kanketsuhen: Ketto Ganryūjima) is a 1956 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune. Filmed in Eastmancolor, it serves as the concluding chapter of Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
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Samurai Marathon
The producing team behind Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins," Jeremy Thomas and Toshiaki Nakazawa, reunite for another visually striking and action-packed samurai film. Based on a novel by Akihiro Dobashi, this film may not reach the same heights of relentless carnage or critical acclaim as its predecessor, but it still offers an exciting and occasionally humorous addition to the samurai genre, likely to resonate with festival audiences. This story of a literal running battle between rival samurai factions could see moderate success in theaters, though it may require more marketing effort without the ultra-violent appeal that made "13 Assassins" memorable.
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Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
Duel at Ichijoji Temple (Hepburn: Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijōji no Kettō) is a 1955 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshiro Mifune. Filmed in Eastmancolor, it is the second installment in Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
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The Samurai I Loved (Semishigure)
The costumes, settings, and script of The Samurai I Loved immediately transport samurai film enthusiasts back to the golden era of classic black-and-white samurai masterpieces.
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Samurai Wolf (Kiba Okaminosuke)
Hideo Gosha’s Samurai Wolf (Kiba Okaminosuke) is a gritty, hard-edged, and bloody reimagining of the traditional chambara film—a genre of action-oriented, historical sword-fighting movies that enjoyed widespread popularity in Japan throughout the 1950s but had begun to decline by the mid-1960s. Gosha had already established his reputation in this genre with films such as his debut feature, Three Outlaw Samurai (Sanbiki no samurai, 1964), a prequel to a popular television series, and Sword of the Beast (Kedamono no ken, 1965). These works established Gosha as a renegade artist unafraid to break conventions, a reputation that Samurai Wolf only cemented.
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Samurai Deeper Kyo
Samurai Deeper Kyo is a Japanese manga series created by Akimine Kamijyo. The series was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine from May 1999 to May 2006, and its chapters were compiled into 38 tankobon volumes. Set during the Edo period, the story follows Demon Eyes Kyo, a notorious samurai whose soul is sealed inside the body of his rival, Mibu Kyoshiro. Kyo's quest to reclaim his own body brings him into partnership with bounty hunter Shiina Yuya, Tokugawa shogunate heir Benitora, and Sanada Yukimura, a well-known adversary of the Tokugawa.
