Movies Like The Tale of Genji: A Thousand Year Enigma

If you liked The Tale of Genji: A Thousand Year Enigma (2011), a fantasy and drama movie directed by Yasuo Tsuruhashi, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
2
Kamui (2009)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
A rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.
3
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
4
Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also fantasy
Shishio sets sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the government. In order to stop him, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
5
Ugetsu (1953)
★ 8/10Also fantasy and drama
In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit…
6
Samurai Rebellion (1967)
★ 8.2/10Also drama
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped by the lord. Her husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to rescue her.
7
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
After years on the road establishing his reputation as Japan's greatest fencer, Takezo returns to Kyoto. Otsu waits for him, yet he has come not for her but to challenge the leader of the region's finest school of…
8
Blade of the Immortal (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also fantasy and drama
Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a…
9
Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and fantasy
Kenshin has settled into his new life with Kaoru and his other friends when he is approached with a request from the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, a former assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed, set on fire and left…
10
Taboo (1999)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
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 on a…
11
Inu-Oh (2022)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and fantasy
A cursed dancer and a blind musician — both ostracized by society — become business partners and inseparable friends as their larger-than-life concerts propel them to stardom in 14th century Japan.
12
Zatoichi (2003)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
13
Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally (1989)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
Older, wiser but still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi seeks a peaceful life in a rural village. When he's caught in the middle of a power struggle between two rival Yakuza clans, his reputation…
14
The Sword of Doom (1966)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.
15
Throne of Blood (1957)
★ 7.9/10Also drama
Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses…
16
Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)
★ 7.5/10Also fantasy
In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing.
17
Chûshingura (1962)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
18
If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and fantasy
A postman learns that he doesn't have much time left to live due to a terminal illness. A devil then appears in front of him and offers to extend his life if he picks something in the world that will disappear. The man…
19
Momo (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also fantasy
Momo is a young orphan girl who lives in the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater and becomes friends with everybody in the neighborhood. But when a powerful international corporation starts stealing everybody’s time…
20
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002)
★ 7.7/10Also fantasy
With their most formidable foe vanquished, Inuyasha and his comrades begin returning to their everyday lives. But their peace is fleeting as another adversary emerges: Kaguya, the self-proclaimed princess from the Moon…