Bushido

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1:43

Bushido

2024

2h 9m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

91%

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11 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Kakunoshin Yanagida was a samurai, who was forced out of the Han due to a false accusation. He then lived in poverty with his daughter Kinu. Despite being poor, he never gave up his pride and honor that he held as a samurai. Even when playing the board game Go, which is his hobby, he always plays in a fair manner. Because of a case, the truth behind the false accusation is revealed. Kakunoshin is shaken and filled with rage. He decides to take revenge, even if it means he will be torn from his daughter.

Manohla Dargis

New York Times

Mar 17

Yet it’s the movie’s questioning of what makes a man a man, as well as its stillness, that leaves the strongest impression. Here, when men face each other across a Go board, they find themselves.

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Daniel Gorman

In Review Online

Apr 8

Bushido is a flawed film, but much is saved in the way Shiraishi orchestrates things not unlike a Go player: the true nature of his strategy only becomes clear once all the pieces have been systematically laid out.

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Sean Gilman

The Chinese Cinema

Mar 24

Bushido is as gorgeous as the rules regimenting its society are cruel and onerous.

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Daniel Pemberton

Spectrum Culture

Mar 19

Shiraishi's film is a lovingly crafted, albeit inconsistent, samurai drama that fans of the genre will enjoy.

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Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

Mar 14

3/5

The original Japanese title prepares audiences more for this film about the strategy board game Go and honor. Not a perfect film, but one that demonstrates the problems of the samurai system as the Edo period drew to a close.

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Mark Dujsik

Mark Reviews Movies

Mar 13

3/4

The director uses the very nature of the filmmaking to represent the man, his perspective, and his attitude. The director

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Andrew H

@RT32212775 May 30

I watched Bushido at the Nippon Connection film festival in Frankfurt. The slow, character and setting building beginning serves the film well, as the drama intensifies towards the end -with a gripping finish. For non Japanese there are fascinating elements: for example the role of the game Go, the Samurai codex, the relationships within typical professions n the old city of Edo. It is also beautifully shot

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Susan F

@RT35331349 04/19/2025

The film draws you close to the screen, to fill your eyes with beauty. But then the glances and the eyes of the people are full of beauty: honesty, truthfulness, courtesy, kindness, compassion, integrity, rectitude of conduct, probity, honor. At a time when life in America is so filled with cruelty, lies and misdirection, this movie heals my heart to look on it, and consider how to live my own life with honor. For me the effects of this film have lasted long past the time I viewed it. I am not a samurai movie fan. I am an integrity and human honor fan, and this film is filled with it. I and my friends buy all-access passes to the Mpls St Paul Int'l Film Festival, so we see 50+ movies in 2 weeks, so we're discriminating critics, and we agreed as we left the theater that Bushido ranks 5 out of 5 stars.

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Akira B

@akirabergman 04/08/2025

I wanted to watch another film by Shiraishi after liking 11 Rebels, and I liked Bushido as well. He combines the tough way of the samurai life with the domestic life of Japan in a seamless and interesting way.

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Timothy B

@RT92311215 09/19/2024

This is a very interesting film for Americans, as is visiting Japan. Listening in an attentive mode to every moment is a difficult practice to master. Zen Buddhists call it "The Way". The Protagonist is a Samurai, experiencing some ups and downs. Like any human, we nearly blow things up. But the Japanese way of life calls for so much respect, the shame passes back to the self. Loved this film. Japanese language with English subtitles is the way to watch this in my opinion.

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Kazuya Shiraishi

Director

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi

Kakunoshin Yanagida

Kaya Kiyohara

Kinu

Taishi Nakagawa

Yakichi

Eita Okuno

Kajikisamon

Takuma Otoo

Tokujiro

Bushido: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Kakunoshin Yanagida was a samurai, who was forced out of the Han due to a false accusation. He then lived in poverty with his daughter Kinu. Despite being poor, he never gave up his pride and honor that he held as a samurai. Even when playing the board game Go, which is his hobby, he always plays in a fair manner. Because of a case, the truth behind the false accusation is revealed. Kakunoshin is shaken and filled with rage. He decides to take revenge, even if it means he will be torn from his daughter.

Director: Kazuya Shiraishi
Producer: Satoshi Akagi, Yukiko Tanikawa
Screenwriter: Masato Kato
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Kinoshita Group Co., Ltd.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2026
Runtime: 2h 9m