Movies Like Ooku Hankachou

If you liked Ooku Hankachou (1983), a history movie directed by Hitoshi Ōzu, 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
Kubi (2023)
★ 6.9/10Also history
Lord Oda Nobunaga plans to control Japan where rival warlords battle by waging war against several clans. His vassal Araki Murashige stages a rebellion and promptly disappears.
2
Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)
★ 7.5/10Also history
In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing.
3
Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2001)
★ 6.8/10Also history
Benkei, a master fighter and killer, vows never to take another life after his conversion to Buddhism. His faith in pacifism, however, is shaken and ultimately broken by the attacks from a trio of fighters known only…
4
Mumon: The Land of Stealth (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also history
Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his…
5
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)
★ 7.7/10Also history
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.
6
ICHI (2008)
★ 6.8/10Also history
Ichi is a blind entertainer that travels the countryside with her traditional Japanese guitar and walking stick. She’s in search for the kind man that brought her up as a child, but because of her beauty she encounters…
7
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
★ 6.7/10Also history
A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
8
Chûshingura (1962)
★ 7.1/10Also history
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
9
Hachiko (1987)
★ 7.8/10Also history
The tragic, true story about Hachikō, an Akita dog who was loyal to his master, Professor Ueno, even after Ueno's death.
10
Tenchu! (1969)
★ 7/10Also history
A ronin desperately seeks a way out of financial straits; he allies with the Tosa clan under the ruthless leader Takechi, who quickly takes advantage.
11
Taboo (1999)
★ 6.6/10Also history
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…
12
The Rose of Versailles (2025)
★ 7/10Also history
In an age of revolution, Marie Antoinette and her protector Oscar François de Jarjayes face tough choices as women growing into their distinct roles.
13
Ran (1985)
★ 8/10Also history
Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.
14
Inu-Oh (2022)
★ 7.5/10Also history
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.
15
Zatoichi on the Road (1963)
★ 6.9/10Also history
Zatoichi is sworn to protect the life of a young girl and without any real allies finds himself in the middle of a bloody turf war.
16
Throne of Blood (1957)
★ 7.9/10Also history
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…
17
Kagemusha (1980)
★ 7.8/10Also history
A 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
11 Rebels (2024)
★ 6.9/10Also history
When the brutal Boshin War breaks out in Japan, a group of inmates on death row unite to defend a fortress against the Imperial army.
19
Samurai Marathon (2019)
★ 6/10Also history
When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.
20
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
★ 7.2/10Also history
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful…