Japanese history movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant japanese history movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out captivating, serious, realistic, period drama, tense and stylized films and TV shows about / with japanese history, samurai, betrayal, medieval, feudal japan, katana, samurai sword, edo period, tokugawa shogunate and martial arts plots mostly in Drama, History and War genres shot in Japan, USA, UK and other countries.
135
TOP 10 movies tagged as japanese history: Sekigahara (2017), The Floating Castle (2012), Lust, Caution (2007), Kagemusha (1980), The Hidden Blade (2004), Nanking (2007), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), The Last Samurai (2003), Ran (1985), Magi: The Tensho Boys' Embassy (2019).
Best films
New films
List of japanese history movies
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
In the year 1600, a battle determines the future ruler for Japan and the beginning of the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, thought provoking, tense, sentimental ...
Plot:
shogun, japanese history, female ninja, medieval, ninja, betrayal, employer employee relationship, death sentence, employer, murder, slavery, japanese girl ...
Time:
medieval times, 17th century
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 144 min.
Story:
In the year 1590, the mighty warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi is close to fulfilling his ambition of unifying all of Japan under his banner when he comes across unexpected resistance in the form of a floating fortress known as Oshi Castle. Narita ...
Style:
historical drama, period piece, captivating, suspenseful, tense ...
Plot:
japanese history, fight, leadership, samurai, castle, feudal japan, bravery, protector, showdown, battles, warrior, power struggle ...
Time:
medieval times, 16th century, 2010s
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Romance, Thriller, War
Country: Taiwan, USA, Hong Kong, China
Duration: 157 min.
Story:
During World War II a secret agent must seduce, then assassinate an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill.
Style:
sexy, sexual, disturbing, sensual, erotic ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
forbidden love, world war two, sensuality, sex, sex scene, adultery, lust, sexual attraction, japanese occupation, extramarital affair, sexual relations, passionate sex ...
Time:
1940s, year 2007, 2000s, 1930s, 20th century ...
Place:
asia, hong kong, china, japan, shanghai ...
Is relevant?
41K
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 162 min.
Story:
When a warlord dies, a peasant thief is called upon to impersonate him, in order to protect his clan from appearing weak and vulnerable. But he finds himself haunted by the warlord’s spirit as well as his own ambitions.
Style:
costume drama, cerebral, visually stunning, jidai geki, bleak ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, medieval, japanese history, battles, martial arts, warrior, warlord, doppelganger, death, emperor, samurai sword, feudal japan ...
Time:
16th century, medieval times, year 1980, 18th century
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo, india
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his ...
Style:
serious, stylized, sentimental, jidai geki, romantic ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, medieval, politics, feudal japan, caste system, asian history, love and romance, vengeance, family life, samurai sword, edo period ...
Time:
19th century, 1860s
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded ...
Style:
realistic, serious, rough, depressing, suspense ...
Plot:
world war two, japanese occupation of china, atrocity, against humanity, japanese history, rescue, rape, testimony, daring rescue, life is a bitch, danger, survival ...
Time:
1930s, 20th century, year 1938, year 1937
Place:
china, asia, japan, shanghai
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Emperor, Japan restlessly awaits the dawning of a new age. But not all are content...The Shinsengumi, a small army of samurai, farmers and peasants, ...
Style:
historical drama, grim, melancholic, jidai geki, period drama
Plot:
samurai, japanese history, tokugawa shogunate, medieval, edo period, sword fight, honor, loyalty, samurai sword, martial arts, betrayal, feudal japan ...
Time:
19th century, 1860s
Place:
japan, kyoto japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
A sweeping romantic epic set in Japan in the years before World War II, a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house.
Style:
captivating, sentimental, dramatic, serious, romantic ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
love story, geisha, women, age difference, japanese culture, older man younger woman relationship, brothel, beauty, orphan, love and romance, mentor, femininity ...
Time:
1920s, 1940s, 1930s, ancient times, 20th century ...
Place:
japan, asia, china, east asia, america ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 154 min.
Story:
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the ...
Style:
epic, breathtaking, exciting, captivating, period piece ...
Audience:
manly, girls' night, adult
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, battles, war, courage, japanese history, warrior, pride and honor, self discovery, human spirit, honor, loyalty ...
Time:
19th century, middle ages, victorian era, year 2003, 1800s ...
Place:
japan, asia, africa, san francisco, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
150K
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 160 min.
Story:
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how their new-found power will corrupt them.
Style:
visually stunning, visually appealing, breathtaking, cerebral, atmospheric ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
samurai, feudal japan, greed, betrayal, shakespeare, vengeance, asian history, nihilism, medieval, castle, politics, insanity ...
Time:
medieval times, middle ages, year 1985, 20th century, 16th century
Place:
japan, bolivia, east asia, asia, tokyo ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Country: Japan
TV show
Story:
An Italian missionary arrived in Japan during the Middle Ages in order to proselytize, evangelize and recruit people to his religion. He instituted seminaries around the country and picked the most ardent to travel to the Vatican in order to meet ...
Style:
historical drama
Plot:
japanese history, priest, ship, religion, seminary, foreigner in japan, medieval, faith, vatican, jesuit, hardship, christianity ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
18K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 109 min.
TV show
Story:
An English navigator becomes both pawn and player in the deadly political games in feudal Japan.
Style:
atmospheric, mythical, costume drama, epic, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, shogun, jesuit, battles, chivalry, renaissance, historical event, tokugawa shogunate, martial arts, japanese history, samurai sword, interracial relations ...
Time:
17th century, medieval times, 20th century
Place:
japan, portugal, asia
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, Family, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse he/she would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the ...
Style:
depressing, cerebral, erotic, bleak, neo noir ...
Plot:
sex, dog sex, samurai, humanity, old age, existentialism, mountain, elderly, japanese history, female nudity, misery, social injustice ...
Time:
19th century, year 1983, 1860s
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, History
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
The American imperialists are at the door and intruding on Japan. To assess and train his troops the lord of the land announces a marathon through the land crisscrossing shores, forests and the mountain. The shogunate in Edo was not approving and ...
Style:
captivating, tense, exciting, bloody, suspense ...
Plot:
samurai, swordsman, japanese history, edo period, marathon, american imperialism, sword fight, contest, katana, betrayal, murder, samurai era ...
Time:
1850s, 19th century
Place:
asia, japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 137 min.
Story:
Kenshin Himura goes up against mysterious weapons dealer Enishi. He controls the underworld of China. The secret of Kenshin Himura’s "Jujishou" is also revealed.
Style:
tense, captivating, perverse, epic, historical drama ...
Plot:
samurai, one man army, shogun, fight, crime boss, martial arts, secret, organized crime, criminal, outlaw gang, gang war, bandit ...
Time:
19th century, 1860s
Place:
japan, china, kyoto japan, india
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
psychological, serious, jidai geki, romantic, poignant ...
Plot:
blind character, samurai, medieval, hopes, social differences, asian history, blindness, vengeance, society, rivalry, political unrest, master warrior ...
Time:
year 2006
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
132K
Genre: Drama, History
Country: UK, Italy, Mexico, USA
Duration: 161 min.
Story:
Two Jesuit priests travel to seventeenth century Japan which has, under the Tokugawa shogunate, banned Catholicism and almost all foreign contact.
Style:
philosophical, cerebral, visually stunning, suspense, melancholic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
missionary, religion, christianity, religious persecution, culture clash, crisis of faith, christian, torture, faith, doubt, martyr, clergy ...
Time:
17th century, year 2016, year 2015, 2010s
Place:
japan, portugal, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
Defence lawyer Emi is assigned to a particularly unusual case: a man is suspected of murdering his wealthy wife, and his only alibi is a 421-year old ghost, Rokubei. At first Emi is hesitant, but when she pursues her lead she is visited by the ghost ...
Style:
disturbing, suspense, suspenseful, tense
Plot:
court, courtroom, murder, explorer, breakup, small business owner, descendant, japanese history, judge, criminal, murderer, japanese woman ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the ...
Style:
sincere, jidai geki, talky, touching, lyrical ...
Plot:
samurai, poverty, feudal japan, sword fight, asian history, friendship, love story, tragedy, character study, samurai era, visceral, assassination ...
Time:
19th century, 2000s, y2k, 1800s, year 2002
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Three WWII veterans, reunited by family circumstances, quickly find their life savings threatened by a private corporation; they band together to fight back.
Style:
captivating, serious, touching, realistic
Plot:
military, survival, generation gap, politics, japanese history, old man, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, memory, tradition, japanese military, japanese soldier, old woman ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
TV show
Story:
Fūrin Kazan was the 46th NHK Taiga drama beginning on January 7, 2007. It was aired throughout 2007.
The four characters from left to right are wind, woods, fire, and mountain. The title is a reference to the war banner used by Takeda Shingen, ...
Style:
tense, disturbing, captivating, philosophical, educational ...
Plot:
samurai, warrior, ronin, japanese history, fight for supremacy, power struggle, historical event, siege, strategy, battles, fight, intrigue ...
Time:
16th century, medieval times
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
TV show
Story:
The 40th NHK Taiga Drama is Hojo Tokimune. It tells the dramatic and turbulent life of young shikken Hojo Tokimune, and his successful defense of Japan from invasion by Mongolia in the 1200's. It is a tragic story of betrayal and clan wars and ...
Style:
period piece, historical drama, tense, captivating, disturbing ...
Plot:
political intrigue, feudal japan, japanese history, power struggle, family drama, political unrest, brothers, brother brother relationship, political conspiracy, family problems, politics, assassination ...
Time:
13th century, regency period
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
The 39th NHK Taiga Drama is Aoi Tokugawa Sandai. It is James Miki's dynamic and colorful tale of three generations of the Tokugawa dynasty--from its founder Ieyasu to Iemitsu, the third Shogun who solidified the Tokugawa power base.
Style:
historical drama, captivating, disturbing, costume drama, family saga ...
Plot:
power struggle, dynasty, japanese history, tokugawa shogunate, power, shogun, feudal japan, fight, three generations, kingdom, generation, political intrigue ...
Time:
17th century
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
Warlords Kagetora and Takeda each wish to prevent the other from gaining hegemony in feudal Japan. The two samurai leaders pursue one another across the countryside, engaging in massive battles of cavalry and infantry. Younger and less brutal, ...
Style:
psychotronic, visually appealing, cult classic, epic, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, medieval, japanese history, katana, fight, legends and myths, ancient, siege, strong violent content, battles, family relations, chaos ...
Time:
medieval times, 16th century
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
Kanichiro Yoshimura is a Samurai and Family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan, he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay to support ...
Style:
atmospheric, captivating, realistic, bleak, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, japanese history, sword fight, tragic hero, human spirit, life is a bitch, political unrest, duel, emperor, martial arts, unfulfillment, hopes ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Set in 1398. Kim Min-Jae (Shin Ha-Kyun) is the supreme commander of the Joseon Dynasty. He falls in love for the first time and for that woman he takes risks. Yi Bang-Won (Jang Hyuk) is the King’s son. He helped his father setup the Joseon Dynasty ...
Style:
erotic, sexy, suspense, captivating, tense ...
Plot:
joseon dynasty, sex, mistress, royal court, unrequited love, forbidden love, palace intrigue, korean history, revenge, rescue from drowning, suicide attempt, love and romance ...
Time:
14th century, 15th century
Place:
korea
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
Murasaki Shikibu (Yoshitaka Yuriko), the heroine of this story, wrote the bestseller 'The Tale of Genji,' transcending a thousand years during the Heian period. She weaves the story of Hikaru Genji, fueled by her love for Fujiwara no ...
Style:
historical drama, period piece, reflective, melancholic, period drama
Audience:
adult
Plot:
poetry, japanese history, female protagonist, biopic, palace intrigue, unrequited love, forbidden love, bureaucracy, arranged marriage, taiga, nobility, aristocracy ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
In Kyoto, Mayuko (Haruka Ayase) stands at a crossroad in her life. She's thinking about marriage with her boyfriend Kyoichi (Hiroyuki Hirayama). By an accidental opportunity, Mayuko stays at Honnouji Hotel. There, she meets historical figure ...
Style:
captivating, satirical, entertaining, semi serious, romantic comedy ...
Plot:
hotel, time travel, japanese history, back in time, time jump, time loop, historical event, satire, time warp, time traveler, time paradox, female protagonist ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Style:
tense, captivating, realistic, serious, jidai geki ...
Plot:
asian history, martial arts, medieval, samurai sword, winter, ninja, tokugawa shogunate, japanese history, fight, clan, exploitation, kung fu ...
Time:
19th century, year 1969, 17th century
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-level swordsman Gennosuke, who kills one of his ministers as part of a reform plot. His former comrades then turn on him, and this betrayal so shakes ...
Style:
exciting, realistic, serious, rough, suspenseful ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, medieval, samurai sword, japanese history, clan, swordsman, kung fu, swordplay, tokugawa shogunate, ninja, imperialism ...
Time:
19th century, year 1965, 60s
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
