Best Japanese History Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese History Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: captivating, serious, realistic, tense, epic and stylized. Plot: medieval, samurai, japanese history, heroes, katana, martial arts, betrayal, society, sword fight and edo period. Genre: History, Drama and Action. Country: Japan, USA and UK.
Best Japanese History Movies
TOP Movies: The Wind Rises (2013), Silence (2016), When the Last Sword is Drawn (2002), In This Corner of the World (2016), Kingdom (2019), The Hidden Blade (2004), Samurai Resurrection (2003), Sakuran (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Yamato (2005), Sekigahara (2017), Gintama: The Movie (2010), Taboo (1999), The Twilight Samurai (2002), She Said (2022), Snow on The Blades (2014), Love and Honor (2006), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), Sakurada Gate Incident (2010).
List of Best Movies
Genre: History
Country: Japan
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
The year is Seitoku 2 (1712), and Japan has a new ruler. But Ietsugu, the 7th Tokugawa shogun, is only four years old. The power vacuum this creates has Edo Castle roiling in political intrigue and personal positioning of all kinds.
Style:
historical drama, thrilling, psychological, captivating, melancholic ...
Plot:
palace intrigue, shogun, palace, power struggle, female rivalry, feudal japan, king, political intrigue, empire, intrigue, scheming, relationship problems ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
Former legendary assassin Kenshin Himura has now become a wandering samurai. Offering aid & protecting those in need as atonement for his past deeds. During this time Kenshin Himura comes across and aides Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei). Her father ...
Style:
exciting, serious, manga, realistic, anime ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, master warrior, japanese culture, medieval, drifter, katana, shogun, swordsman, heroes, one man army, massacre ...
Time:
1800s, 2010s, 1870s, 1860s, 19th century
Place:
japan, asia, ancient china, tokyo, kyoto japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Biography, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
Style:
anime, touching, sentimental, emotional, adult animation ...
Audience:
kids, family friendly, teens
Plot:
tuberculosis, world war two, dream, earthquake, inventions and discoveries, flying, hopes, aviation, biopic, love and romance, engineer, wartime ...
Time:
1930s, 2010s, year 2013, 1920s, 1940s ...
Place:
japan, germany, asia, tokyo
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?
Related movie lists
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: Animation, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Newlywed Suzu Urano moves to her new life in Kure City on the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture, where she perseveres through World War II with pluck and determination.
Style:
anime, adult animation, thought provoking, suspenseful, tense ...
Audience:
family friendly, teens
Plot:
wedding, world war two, bombing, female protagonist, military, anniversary, evacuation, danger, society, couples, teenager, bomber ...
Time:
1940s, 1930s, 2010s, 20th century, year 1943 ...
Place:
hiroshima japan, japan, east asia, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
Set in Qin Dynasty during the warring states period in ancient China. Shin was a war orphan. He has a dream of becoming a great general Shin has a fateful encounter with young King Eisei. King Eisei aims to unify all of China.
Style:
entertaining, captivating, anime, exciting
Plot:
battles, sword fight, warrior, medieval, asian history, slave, heir, king, military, best friend, pursuit, death of friend ...
Place:
china, asia
Is relevant?
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?
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Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, History, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Shiro Amasuka, dead leader of the Shimbara Revolt is resurrected from hell with the desire of overthrowing the shogunate for killing his companions. To do this , he resurrects an army od living dead swordsmen. Between him and his goal, only Yagyu ...
Style:
exciting, scary, suspenseful, epic, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, shogun, battles, ghost, medieval, curses spells and rituals, reincarnation, vengeance, heroes, supernatural, rivalry, zombie ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A young girl is sold into the red-light district Yoshiwara and is put under the care of the oiran (lead prostitute) of the Tamakiku house. The girl is rebellious, but the more experienced people in the household begin to think that she will be one ...
Style:
captivating, stylized, emotional, epic, costume drama ...
Plot:
geisha, courtesan, social differences, rise to the top, lifestyle, rebelliousness, ambition, fall in love, love and romance, gang, apprentice, social relations ...
Time:
18th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia, china
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Style:
realistic, epic, contemplative, disturbing, touching ...
Audience:
family outing, adult
Plot:
world war two, war, military, japanese history, battles, anti war, survival, japanese military, japanese army, imperial japan, violence, stallion ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, year 2006, ancient times, 2000s ...
Place:
japan, asia, nebraska, tokyo, germany
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
Directed by Junya Sato and based on a book by Jun Henmi, "Yamato" has a framing story set in the present day and uses flashbacks to tell the story of the crew of the World War II Japanese battleship Yamato. The film was never released in ...
Style:
realistic, captivating, serious, exciting, touching
Plot:
world war two, navy, battleship, warship, kamikaze, japanese navy, lost love, military, battles, japanese history, heroes, danger ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, 2000s, year 2005, year 1945 ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
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: Animation, Action, Comedy, History, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you're a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that's been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term "Odd Jobs" means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some ...
Style:
anime, exciting, semi serious, stylized, humorous ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
heroes, rivalry, artificial intelligence, conspiracy, society, escapades, danger, disorder, dishonesty, misfit partners, imaginary, evil alien ...
Time:
middle ages
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
8K
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Japan, France, UK
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai ...
Style:
atmospheric, stylized, tense, realistic, disturbing ...
Plot:
gay, boys love, gay interest, gays and lesbians, medieval, sword fight, murder mystery, samurai, gay asian, emperor, homosexuality, lgbt ...
Time:
19th century, year 1999, 1800s
Place:
japan, asia, kyoto japan, spain, tokyo
Is relevant?
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?
28K
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Style:
sexual, serious, sexy, f word, interesting
Plot:
journalism, based on real people, sexism, sexual harassment, film industry, sex crime, sexual assault, women's rights, rapist, film producer, sexual abuse, rape ...
Time:
2010s, year 2017, year 2016, 2020s, year 1992 ...
Place:
italy, hong kong, manhattan new york city, new york, ireland ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Japan, Cyprus
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
At Sakurada Gate in 1860, the shogun’s chief minister and his retinue of bodyguards are ambushed and annihilated. Bearing the responsibility and shame for this failure is Shimura Kingo, master swordsman and chief of the guard. Forbidden to take ...
Style:
captivating, crying, entertaining
Plot:
samurai, murderer, shogun, edo period, pursuit, vengeance, murder, obsession, fight, deception, anger, minister ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
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?
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 144 min.
Story:
In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words use by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had ...
Style:
epic, factual, talky, intense, serious ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
world war two, war, navy, fighter plane, u.s. navy, japanese military, aviation, battles, warship, aerial combat, military life, world war ...
Time:
year 1970, 1940s, year 1941, 20th century, 70s
Place:
hawaii, pearl harbor, japan, washington d.c., asia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, Japan, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The story of journalist, Edward R Murrow's stand against Senator McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
Style:
political, tense, period piece, factual, melancholic ...
Plot:
politics, media, television, mccarthyism, journalist, reporter, fighting the system, cold war, propaganda, terrorist, patriotism, communism ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, 50s, year 2005, 90s ...
Place:
new york, washington d.c., california, usa, soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who've vowed their revenge.
Style:
tense, captivating, exciting, epic, historical drama ...
Plot:
swordsman, medieval, master warrior, fight, martial arts, katana, destruction, sword duel, combat, escapades, life, haunted by the past ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: History
Country: Japan
Duration: 137 min.
Story:
A film about the assination of Ii Naosuke at the gate of Edo castle in 1860 by ronin from the mito domain.
Style:
historical drama, tense, grim, melancholic, tragic
Plot:
assassination, edo period, medieval, political intrigue, feudal japan, honor, duty, loyalty, sacrifice, conflict, tokugawa shogunate, revenge ...
Time:
1860s
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
It’s 1940, and the population of Japan is divided over its entry into World War II. Satoko, the wife of a fabric merchant, is devoted to her husband but is beginning to suspect he’s up to something. Soon she allows herself to be drawn into a ...
Style:
captivating, psychological, suspense, disturbing
Plot:
spy, world war two, murder, japanese occupation of china, japanese wife, family relations, wartime, female protagonist, male female relationship, social problems, lifestyle, occupation ...
Time:
1940s
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 190 min.
Story:
The film is told in three acts, beginning with a historical background of Japan's student movement of the 1960s and early 1970s, mostly using archive footage and a narrator. The second act follows the formation of the group to their mountain ...
Style:
rough, atmospheric, serious, bleak, political ...
Plot:
revolution, radical, rebellion, idealism, danger, life is a bitch, military, isolation, society, communism, hostage, terrorism ...
Time:
2000s, 20th century, 70s, year 1960, year 1966 ...
Place:
japan, asia
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?
Genre: Action, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
A talented but troubled Edo Period swordsman, Kanemi Sanzawmon. Three years earlier, Kanemi killed a woman, Renko, the corrupt mistress of the powerful daimyo Tabu Ukyou. Unexpectedly, Kanemi received a lenient sentence for his crime and is allowed ...
Style:
captivating, suspenseful, atmospheric, tense, exciting ...
Plot:
samurai, master warrior, medieval, loyalty, betrayal, intrigue, rivalry, haunted by the past, under the surface, asian history, edo period, death of wife ...
Place:
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?
49K
Genre: Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Style:
f word
Plot:
journalism, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, abuse of power, film producer, women's rights, film industry, rape, investigation, sex crime, based on real people ...
Time:
2010s, year 2016, year 2017, year 1992, 21st century
Place:
hong kong, manhattan new york city, ireland, new york, venice ...
Is relevant?
334K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1971, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from ...
Style:
factual, realistic, inspirational, suspense, breathtaking ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, kids, boys' night
Plot:
astronaut, nasa, survival, space travel, moon, disaster, rescue, space program, space exploration, race against time, trapped in space, against the odds ...
Time:
70s, year 1970, 20th century, year 1969, 60s ...
Place:
houston texas, usa, north america, texas, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
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