What did people love so much about Akira Kurosawa’s historical epics? Was it the masterful writing, the deep intellectual ideas, or the ahead of its time cinematography? Or was it just everything?! Never forget how good Akira Kurosawa was at casting in his movies. Finding the right actors to play these larger than life roles. Hands down from influence and reach alone, the best Akira Kurosawa Films were his epic Jidaigeki tales. Historical epics intertwined during culturally significant and even tumultuous periods of Japanese history.
Today we take a look at award-winning filmmaker Kurosawa’s historical tales. We’ll talk about what time period in Japanese history they were set in and discuss how the historical backdrop wasn’t just a setting, but acted as a living, breathing character, shaping the story and its themes.
What is a Jidaigeki Movie or Historical Japanese Drama?
An adventurous spirit in the unfamiliar past, action, suspense, romance, and toiling in a harsh environment – all necessary themes/tropes to fulfil a Jidaigeki, AKA Japanese historical drama.
Originating in 19th-century Japan, period films were an incredibly popular form of entertainment; full of action and intrigue but also grounded in the brutal realities of feudal Japan.
Akira Kurosawa’s Jidaigeki films are among the most iconic in contemporary cinema and stand as one of his most recognizable contributions to filmmaking. These films are set in various historical periods of Japan, including mediaeval times, the feudal era, the warring states period, even the tumultuous post-war years.
What to expect from Jidaigeki Movies
Jidaigeki films became so popular that they became synonymous with chanbara eiga, or “Samurai Cinema,” showcasing the samurai way of life and their shifting status during periods of social upheaval.
Akira Kurosawa, however, took a unique approach, crafting complex, often brooding lone characters who preferred to conceal their martial prowess rather than flaunt it.
These characters were defined not by their need to showcase their skills, but by their internal struggles and moral conflicts, creating a darker and more introspective portrayal of the samurai ethos.
The Legacy Akira Kurosawa’s of Jidaigeki Movies
Jidaigeki films became so popular that they became synonymous with chanbara eiga, or “Samurai Cinema,” showcasing the samurai way of life and their shifting status during periods of social upheaval.
Akira Kurosawa, however, took a unique approach, crafting complex, often brooding lone characters who preferred to conceal their martial prowess rather than flaunt it.
These characters were defined not by their need to showcase their skills, but by their internal struggles and moral conflicts, creating a darker and more introspective portrayal of the samurai ethos.
Heian Period
The Heian Period, often characterized as Japan’s Golden Age, was the final division of classical Japanese history that commenced with Emperor Kanmu’s relocation of the country’s capital from Nara to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto).
The period was a major turning point in Japanese national culture that greatly influenced modern art and architecture as manifested through the rising popularity of vernacular poetry, literature, and paintings at the time. Heian (平安) means “peace” in Japanese.
Eventually, the Heian period came to an end after the fall of the Fujiwara clan (a powerful aristocratic family who had intermarried with the imperial family), thus, reconstructing the new Japan into a shogunate put into the hands of a hereditary military dictator, the shogun.
Rashomon (1950)
Rashomon is set during the 8th century and takes place in none other than Rashomon, the great gate of the imperial city of Kyoto pervaded by ruins and rubble.
Rashomon Summary
The movie begins with three key characters who take shelter underneath Rashomon gate—a woodcutter, a Buddhist teacher, and a traveller. They retell the story of a crime they saw in order to find out the true identity of the perpetrator.
A samurai, his wife, and an infamous thief named Tajōmaru are at the centre of the story. Four different points of view are used to tell the story: the bandit’s, the wife’s, the dead samurai’s (through a medium), and the woodcutter’s (who claims he saw it happen). As these stories go on, it becomes clear that each character has a biased version of what happened shaped by their own motives. This leads to the audience questioning the nature of truth itself.
The Rashomon Effect
Did you know that the movie Rashomon led to the creation of a phrase called the “Rashomon effect”? This term refers to a way of telling stories in film in which different people involved in an event give conflicting eye-witness interpretations of it. This gives the audience different opinions and points of view on the same event.
The Usual Suspects, Gone Girl, and Fight Club are all well-known Hollywood movies that used “The Rashomon Effect.”
Rashmon’s Historical Context
One of Rashomon’s main characters is a samurai, which is a nod to the Heian period (794–1185), when samurai first became known as warriors, especially in their conflicts against the Emishi, an ancient group of people from the Tohoku area. This Japanese historical period was chosen to honour the beginnings of the samurai and place the movie in a significant time in history.
However, Rashomon doesn’t depict the Japan of the samurai’s later bushido glory during the Tokugawa era (1603-1868). Instead, it transports viewers to the Heian period—a time rich with allegory, mysticism, and abstraction. This era, with its political intrigue and moral ambiguity, serves as fertile ground for Kurosawa’s exploration of truth, illusion, and the darker sides of human nature.
Gate of Hell (1953)
Kurosawa’s Gate of Hell takes place during the 1159 Heiji Rebellion and delves into the years of countless battles between the powerful Taira and Minamoto clans struggling to rise to the top where power, dominance, and superiority await them.
Gate of Hell Summary
During an attempted coup, a samurai saves the life of a court lady who disguises herself to allow the royal family to safely escape. After the coup fails, the samurai requests for the woman’s hand in marriage, despite being married to an enemy soldier, as a reward for his efforts and bravery.
The Heiji Rebellion, much like in the film, resulted in a coup d’etat instigated by the emperor’s liegemen during the Heian Period, highlighting the mounting tensions and battle for political reforms and power amongst the major clans.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945)
Kurosawa’s fourth film, The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail, takes place during the 1185 Genpei War marked in between the Heian and Kamakura periods. This is a time when Japanese culture dramatically shifted towards a militaristic nature due to the aftermath of numerous wars.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail Summary
The film depicts the treacherous voyage of a group of samurai warriors disguised as monks as they seek to slip past an enemy checkpoint and reach safety.The plot and characters of the film are, in fact, based on the twelfth-century real-life story of the Minamoto military commander, Yoshitsune Minamoto, in his attempts to flee the heavily guarded borders after being betrayed by his brother, the shogun Yorimoto Minamoto.
Sengoku Period
The Sengoku Period (1467-1568 CE) was a lawless century-long era characterised by rising political instability, turmoil, and warlordism in Japan. During this period, field armies and soldiers rapidly rose in number, reaching tens of thousands of warriors.
This then led to the creation of a more complex system within the military, the armoured infantry known as the Ashigaru. Initiated by the collapse of the country’s feudal system during the 1467 Onin War, rival warlords or daimyō, continued to struggle to gain control of Japan until its reunification under Japan’s three “Great Unifiers” –– Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa –– thus, bringing the war-stricken era to an end in the siege of Osaka.
Seven Samurai (1954)
Akira Kurosawa’s critically acclaimed epic drama, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai), takes place in 1586 where the samurai class played a vital role in society. The film tells the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven rōnin (masterless samurai), to protect their crops from bandits.
Seven Samurai Summary
The movie opens with an impoverished farming village under danger from bandits intending to raid and steal their crops. Desperate and without anything to offer, the people choose to pay a group of misfit samurai for defence. The wise and seasoned samurai Kambei agrees to assist and forms a squad of six other warriors with differing backgrounds and abilities. Inspired by honour rather than reward, these samurai represent the core of the warrior values throughout this chaotic period.
Throughout Seven Samurai, themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and social hierarchy emerge. Reflecting the sour connection between the warrior class and peasants, the villagers initially mistrust the group of samurai. However, as the samurai train the villagers and fortify the village, the bond between them deepens.
Characters like Kikuchiyo (played by the legendary actor Toshiro Mifune), a boisterous man of peasant origins, capture the conflict between class divisions and the search for redemption. Reflecting the Sengoku era beliefs of obligation and service, the preparations for the approaching onslaught highlight the samurai’s tactical skill and their readiness to defend those unable to defend themselves.
In the closing battle, the samurai and villagers fight side by side whilst facing great losses but ultimately guaranteeing the safety of the village. The last scenes stress the price of success (a pyrrhic victory). Four of the seven samurai die; Kambei muses that while the villagers won, it was the samurai who truly lost.
This sad finale stresses the ideas of impermanence and the shifting role of the samurai during the Sengoku period as their way of life begins to fade away even in the face of their most courageous deeds.
Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) Historical Context
The Sengoku period created the strong loners who stood in sharp contrast to the duty-bound samurai of previous periods in Japanese history. With all the Lords fighting to the death, there were a lot of dead lords. As a result, there were a lot of masterless samurai roaming about the countryside with nothing to do.
Ronin were important figures in Feudal Japan, and the depiction of such characters in Seven Samurai reflects the Feudal era perfectly. Although Seven Samurai takes place towards the end of the Sengoku period, Japan was still in a time of chaos. Bandits roamed the countryside freely and communities needed to defend themselves – it was an “every-man-for-himself” free-for-all.
Not all that dissimilar to the Wild West, which explains the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western remakes.
Kagemusha (1980)
Kagemusha is a film that strikingly mirrors the Sengoku warring period, both in its exploration of warfare and its deep, intertwining themes of identity, leadership, and the impermanence of power.
Set during Japan’s Sengoku period (15th-17th centuries), a time of constant warfare and political upheaval, the film tells the story of a low-class criminal who becomes a “double”, or kagemusha (shadow warrior), of a dying warlord named Takeda Shingen, one of the most powerful daimyo (feudal lords) of the era.
Kagemusha Battle Scenes
The film highlights astonishing battle scenes, the newly established samurai system, and battlefields that are ultimately tied to the strife, wars, and fought battles during the Sengoku period –– one of which being the 1575 Battle of Nagashino which serves as the basis of the film’s climactic ending scene. The daimyō in the film is also based on an eminent, real-life daimyō, Takeda Shingen, who showcased exceptional skills, leadership, and prestige during his time.
Ran (1985)
Akira Kurosawa’s Shakespeare-inspired Jidaigeki. The storyline is based on King Lear and features elements based on the legends of the daimyō Mōri Motonari. The film chronicles the downfall of once-strong warrior Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, who chooses to split his realm among his three sons, Taro, Jiro, and Saburo.
Ran Summary
Ran begins with Lord Hidetora revealing that he is retiring and handing over his kingdom to his three sons, Taro, Jiro, and Saburo, so that they can all rule together. Taro, who is the oldest, is made the ruler, while Jiro and Saburo are given lesser duties. The youngest, Saburo, claims that splitting power will cause chaos and betrayal, leading Hidetora to banish him out of anger.
Although Taro and Jiro declared they would remain loyal at first, they quickly turn against their father and strip him of his power. Hidetora, abandoned and humiliated, wanders the land and descends into madness as the consequences of his decision begin to unravel.
As the rivalry between Taro and Jiro becomes worse, the kingdom falls into civil war, with Jiro planning Taro’s death to usurp power. Saburo eventually returns with an army to rescue his father but tragedy strikes when Saburo is killed, and Hidetora dies in grief. Jiro is also tricked and killed in the end leading to the complete collapse of the Ichimonji clan.
Ran ends with a haunting scene of a blind man standing alone on the edge of a cliff. This image represents how destructive human desire, betrayal, and the fragile nature of power can be, all set against the turbulent Sengoku period.
Ran’s Historical Context
In “Ran,” the political instability of the Sengoku period is linked to themes of desire and betrayal in the family. In the same way that many real-life Sengoku warlords split their lands among their heirs or were betrayed by trusted vassals, Lord Hidetora’s choice to split his kingdom brings about the end of his dynasty.
The movie shows how unstable power was during the Sengoku era. Leaders often had to deal with betrayal from within their own ranks, just like Hidetora does with his kids. The brutal violence and shifting allegiances of the time period are reflected in the fights in the movie, which show how destructive unchecked ambition can be.
In Kurosawa’s Ran, Hidetora is seen to be dividing his assets amongst his 3 sons by offering them his prestigious castles –– the First Castle, the Second Castle, and the Third Castle.
Often used as a representation of power and wealth, many castles in Japan were built during the Sengoku Period as regional leaders and aristocrats alike competed for power and strong regional influence to win the favours of the higher-class Japanese at the time.
Throne of Blood (1957)
The Japanese Macbeth, as many call it. Throne of Blood is another of Akira Kurosawa’s films based on Shakespeare’s stories. The movie follows the rise and fall of General Washizu Taketoki, a valiant samurai whose ambition sends him down a dark and sinister path.
Throne of Blood Summary
Following a great fight, Washizu and his friend General Miki stumble upon a mysterious spirit in a forest close to Cobweb Castle. According to the spirit predictions, Miki’s son will finally take the throne and Washizu will ascend to rule over the castle. Though at first dubious, Washizu’s ambition grows stronger when Lord Tsuzuki promotes him to a higher rank, thereby apparently completing the first half of the prophecy.
Driven by his manipulative wife, Lady Asaji, Washizu schemes to kill Lord Tsuzuki and take over. He kills Tsuzuki and blames the guards, seizing command of the castle but quickly lapses into paranoia as the second half of the prophecy hangs over him.
Following a great fight, Washizu and his friend General Miki stumble upon a mysterious spirit in a forest close to Cobweb Castle. According to the spirit predictions, Miki’s son will finally take the throne and Washizu will ascend to rule over the castle. Though at first dubious, Washizu’s ambition grows stronger when Lord Tsuzuki promotes him to a higher rank, thereby apparently completing the first half of the prophecy. Driven by his manipulative wife, Lady Asaji, Washizu schemes to kill Lord Tsuzuki and take over. He kills Tsuzuki and blames the guards, seizing command of the castle but quickly lapses into paranoia as the second half of the prophecy hangs over him.
Washizu orders the death of General Miki and tries to assassinate Miki’s son, who escapes, therefore securing his power. His paranoia intensifies, reflected in Lady Asaji’s spiral into madness. Emboldened by a prophecy that he cannot be destroyed unless the forest moves, Washizu gets ready for fight as rival warlords surround Cobweb Castle. But the invaders hide themselves in branches, giving the impression of the forest advancing. Betrayed by his own troops, Washizu is put to death, therefore completing the prophecy. Reflecting the terrible results of unbridled ambition and the unavoidable downfall it brings, Throne of Blood ends tragically.
Throne of Blood’s Historical Context
Throne of Blood’s depiction of Washizu’s rise and fall reflects the real-life struggles of Sengoku-period daimyos, many of whom clawed their way to power only to be undone by treachery, paranoia, or rival figures and factions.
Washizu’s actions—betraying his lord, murdering his allies, and obsessively clinging to power—reflect the era’s brutality, where power was often gained and lost through spilt blood. The prophecy that drives Washizu’s ambition is a reminder of the unpredictability of the period, where fortunes could change in an instant, and even the most powerful leaders could fall overnight.
The Masks of the Noh
Combining formal elements originating from Noh drama as the Yaseonna mask with classical Western tragedy, Akira Kurosawa created a flute and drum background music to replicate the whole theatrical experience of Noh in his film.
Throne of Blood also included many Noh theatrical devices like its structural organisation, chant, and choreography.
Although Noh drama had been employed in Japan throughout numerous periods, this kind of theatre also had its fair share throughout the Sengoku period –– typically reflecting Buddhist themes showing their significance as strong political players in the field.
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
The Hidden Fortress is often considered one of Kurosawa’s most accessible Jidaigeki films, thanks to its great pacing, universal humour, and familiar character archetypes.
The film follows two hapless peasants who, lured by the promise of wealth, agree to help a mysterious man and woman travel through enemy territory. Unbeknownst to them, the man is a formidable general, and the woman is a princess in disguise. Their journey becomes not just a quest for riches, but a tale of loyalty, bravery, and the clash between ambition and honour.
The Hidden Fortress Summary
Two squabbling peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, find a secret stash of gold after running away from a battle between two rival clans. Soon, they meet General Rokurota Makabe, a skilled warrior who is quietly watching over Princess Yuki, the last royal family member still alive. In order to get her clan’s gold across enemy lines, the princess is being smuggled as a mute commoner.
As the group continues through hazardous territory, they face many problems, such as betrayals, enemy forces, and the constant risk of being captured.
Through the “hidden fortress,” a remote mountain hideout, Makabe, Yuki, and the peasants avoid their enemies while crossing dangerous terrain. The peasants, over time, come to admire Yuki her bravery and determination. In the end, Princess Yuki is able to rebuild her broken clan, and the peasants are praised for being brave when they weren’t supposed to be.
The Hidden Fortress Historical Context
The Hidden Fortress reflects the Sengoku period’s political instability through its themes of loyalty and survival. General Makabe’s loyalty to his defeated clan echoes the strong sense of feudal duty common during the warring period.
The story of the princess in hiding also mirrors the real-life political exiles that occurred when clans were overthrown. Even the titular “hidden fortress” evokes the remote strongholds used by warlords during this time to protect their treasure and people from their enemies.
Real Life Japanese Clans
During Japan’s age of civil war, the film highlights a supposed dispute between the Yamana clan and the newly defeated Akizuki clan.
The Hidden Fortress then opens with the two peasants leaving everything behind to join the Yamana clan but instead, are mistaken to be a part of the rival Akizuki clan –– much to their dismay.
Both the samurai-led Yamana and Akizuki clans shown in the film are real-life distinguished clans during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan.
The Hidden Fortress and Star Wars
The Hidden Fortress is known for its significant influence on George Lucas’s Star Wars.
In the video, George Lucas discusses the profound influence of Akira Kurosawa on his own work, particularly Star Wars. He highlights how Kurosawa’s storytelling style, especially in films like The Hidden Fortress, shaped his approach to cinema.
Lucas was inspired by Kurosawa’s use of perspective, humour, and strong characters, especially the dynamic between peasants and warriors in The Hidden Fortress. He emphasises Kurosawa’s global impact on filmmaking and his ability to blend action, philosophy, and emotional depth in his stories.
Edo Period
Marking the beginning of early modern Japan, the Edo Period (1603-1867) brought rise to economic prosperity, strict social order, political stability, and widespread enjoyment of arts and culture. Following the instability of the Sengoku Period, the shogunate was then officially settled in Edo (Tokyo) by the Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Under the government ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan enjoyed over 250 years of peace and prosperity, together with increasing urbanization and modernization as well.
The period also marked the strong influence of Shinto and neo-Confucianism ideals, making it the official guiding philosophy during the period, leading to the creation of Bushidō, the Code of Warriors.
The Lower Depths (1957)
Set in a rundown boarding house during the Edo period, a myriad of residents all dream of better things and what-could-have-been outside of their slums. The film sets the scene of a disintegrated society where poverty, political and social instability, and ignorance reign, as the film’s characters attempt to survive in the harsh world.
In the film, Kurosawa makes use of a well-known comic chorus during the Edo period called Bakabayashi or “fools’ orchestra.” In this scene, the outcasts who belong to the lowest of all social classes ironically mock their despair and sufferings, sarcastically singing and praising Buddhist monks and the supposed salvation money can buy.
Yojimbo (1961)
Yojimbo is significant given that it depicts the lone hero archetype fittingly depicted as a Ronin. Sanjuro (played by Toshiro Mifune again!) has mixed feelings about right and wrong, and doesn’t follow the rules of samurai loyalty.
Yojimbo Summary
A Jidaigeki movie set in 1860 during the Bakumatsu (final years) of the Edo Period, Yojimbo tells the story of a rōnin who is sought to be hired as a bodyguard by two crime lords competing for supremacy and power.
The main character of Yojimbo is Sanjuro, a wandering ronin (masterless samurai) who finds himself in a tiny village that has been split up by two opposing gangs.
Assessing the situation, Sanjuro pits the parties against one another in an attempt to end the bloodshed and restore peace to the town. Sanjuro outwits both sides throughout the movie thanks to his shrewdness and swordplay, which culminates in a violent battle where he kills the criminal leaders and brings peace back to the village.
Yojimbo Historical Context
As a critique of the town’s greed, corruption, and moral decline, Yojimbo portrays the shifting times in Japan, from the strict samurai structures of the Edo period to a more chaotic and morally grey world.
Japan’s society developed throughout this Edo Period into one that was more rigid and hierarchical, with restrictive class systems and an emphasis on upholding order.
Even though they were still considered a noble class, samurai were finding fewer and fewer conflicts to fight. As a result, many of them, like Sanjuro, became aimless ronin looking for a reason to live in a society that no longer appreciated their abilities.
Villages During the Edo Period
Yojimbo looks back at a time when the vast majority of local Japanese were simple farmers who lived in remote villages and thatched-roof buildings during the Edo Period.
The film’s izakaya, also known as a stay-drink-place where the rōnin eventually meets his ally and confidant, traces its roots back to the Edo Period where the izakaya began its full-scale development of what we know of it today.
Yojimbo Meaning
The word Yojimbo means “bodyguard,” which is an excellent way to describe how Sanjuro’s role changes throughout the movie. At first, Sanjuro comes to town as a ronin without a clear goal. But he ends up becoming a protector for both sides in the town’s gang war, not out of loyalty, but to divide and conquer.
As the Yojimbo unfolds, his actions slowly change to protect the town instead of acting for the highest bidder. This shows how he changes from a mercenary to a reluctant bodyguard protector who brings order back to the town.
Sanjuro (1962)
The film Sanjuro revolves around a crafty rōnin and his attempts to help young, starry-eyed warriors weed out corruption through their fight against the clan’s corrupt officials before the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the latter part of the film, a superintendent commits hara-kiri, a form of Japanese ritual suicide usually reserved for samurai in the olden times. With regards to the historical context in which the film takes place, hara-kiri became an elaborate ritual during the Edo Period.
Aside from being performed in front of spectators, the samurai were often bathed in cold water, dressed in white clothes, and served their favourite meal as their last before the ritual.
Sanjuro Summary
Sanjuro is the sequel to Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and follows the same ronin, Sanjuro Tsubaki. The film opens with nine young kind-hearted warriors talking about how to cleanse their clan of corruption.
They don’t see that their own chamberlain, who they suspect, is actually a good man. Sanjuro overhears them and, realizing their naivety, intervenes. He reluctantly take charge, helps them save the chamberlain, and expose the dishonest officials in the clan.
Although Sanjuro is the leader of the young samurai, his realistic and cynical personality is differs greatly from their purity and strong sense of honour.
Sanjuro tricks the dishonest officials and beats their hired goons through a series of smart moves and fights. By the end of the movie, though, Sanjuro reproaches the young warriors for being violent, especially when one of them says they admire his killing skills.
He leaves the group, leaving behind both the young men and the samurai world’s strict rules.
Sanjuro Historical Context
Just like Yojimbo, Sanjuro reflects the shifting roles of the samurai during a time of peace in the Edo period. Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, war was rare, and samurai often found themselves serving as bureaucrats or protectors of local lords, rather than on the battlefield.
As a result, the samurai’s traditional warrior ethos faced challenges in a time of relative peace, creating tensions between their idealised duty and the more mundane reality.
The Sanjuro Blood Spray
During the final fight, one of the most famous scenes in Sanjuro happened when a mechanical prop broke and fake blood sprayed violently from an actor’s body instead of trickling as it was supposed to.
Akira Kurosawa liked the result so much that he chose to keep the shot. This accidental blood spray became a famous motif that has since been used in many action movies like Kill Bill.
The over-the-top Sanjuro blood spray changed how violence is shown in movies from that point on.
Red Beard (1965)
In the district of Koishikawa during the later years of the Edo Period, a compassionate town doctor and his rich yet arrogant young trainee try to understand the realities around them through the lens of social injustice, humanism, and existentialism.
The film begins to introduce the young doctor as a graduate of a prestigious Dutch medical school in Nagasaki. During the Edo period, the school of Dutch medicine was commonly known as Ranpoigaku.
Ranpoigaku referred to the medical sciences introduced to Japan in the middle of the Edo Period; consequently, paving the way for Western medicinal practices to flourish, develop, and advance.
Red Beard Historical Significance
Red Beard takes place during the Edo Period, and contains deep significance on the proceeding Meiji Restoration (1868), a time when Japan was changing from feudalism to modernisation. The movie depicts the conflict between traditional Japanese medicine and Western understanding. The young doctor’s training in Ranpoigaku (Dutch medicine) is an example of this.
Japan was moving toward the Meiji Restoration when medicine and society as a whole started to change because of Western impact. Red Beard looks at this change through a humanistic lens, focused on unfair social situations, empathy, and how modernity can make society better.
Meiji Restoration
The Meiji Restoration Period (1868-1912) was a political revolution that brought about dramatic changes in social, political, economic, and infrastructure aspects of Japanese society, whilst incorporating Western modern concepts and ideals.
The Honorable Restoration brought about a new political system under the Emperor of Japan that laid the ground for Japan’s rise to prominence on a global scale.
Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
Kurosawa’s directorial debut film and only Jidaigeki set during the Meiji Restoration. Sanshiro Sugata, takes place in 1880s Japan where a talented apprentice travels to the city to learn Jujitsu.
Upon his arrival to the city’s martial arts school, however, he then discovers Judo and attempts to learn the ins and outs of the then-new martial art.
Sanshiro Sugata Historical Context
The struggle between the film’s two presented forms of martial arts poses a metaphorical figure towards Kurosawa’s recurring theme of change and modernity with regards to the Meiji Restoration Period.
In a time when dynamic changes of modernisation were brought about, the film highlights a barrier between innovation and tradition, as seen in the so-called restoration movement of the country.
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