Movies Like One Day in January
If you liked One Day in January (2012), a drama movie directed by Akira Inoue, 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

Samurai Rebellion (1967)
★ 8.2/10Also dramaThe 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.
- 2

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
★ 7.2/10Also dramaStruggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
- 3

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
★ 7.6/10Also dramaKenshin 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…
- 4

Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
★ 7.2/10Also dramaAfter 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…
- 5

The Sword of Doom (1966)
★ 7.8/10Also dramaRyunosuke, 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.
- 6

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
★ 7.3/10Also dramaThe adventures of a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman. Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighbouring town's smaller gang is brewing.
- 7

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
★ 7.4/10Also dramaOfficial Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yagyu clan, against whom he now is waging a one-man war, along with his infant son, Daigoro.
- 8

Taboo (1999)
★ 6.6/10Also dramaSet 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…
- 9

13 Assassins (2010)
★ 7.3/10Also dramaA bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country…
- 10

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)
★ 7.7/10Also dramaIn 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.
- 11

Kamui (2009)
★ 6.1/10Also dramaA rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.
- 12

Chûshingura (1962)
★ 7.1/10Also dramaAfter their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
- 13

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
★ 6.7/10Also dramaA fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
- 14

Ugetsu (1953)
★ 8/10Also dramaIn 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…
- 15

Zatoichi (2003)
★ 7.2/10Also dramaBlind 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.
- 16

Killing (2018)
★ 7.1/10Also dramaIn mid-19th century Edo period, a masterless rōnin named Mokunoshin Tsuzuki resides in a peaceful village among those he helps. However, as the prevalent peace and tranquility are sure to be replaced by war and…
- 17

Kagemusha (1980)
★ 7.8/10Also dramaA feudal epic presenting the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. The impostor becomes comfortable living his life among…
- 18

Yojimbo (1961)
★ 8.1/10Also dramaA nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin…
- 19

Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)
★ 7.1/10Also dramaWith most of his family already dead at Ogami Itto's hands, Retsudo launches one final plot to destroy him, and when that fails, unleashes the fury of every remaining member of the Yagyu clan.
- 20

Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally (1989)
★ 6.4/10Also dramaOlder, 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…