Samurai Shifters

A sadistic Daimyo (feudal lord) rapes a woman and murders both her and her husband, but even when one of his own vassals commits suicide to bring attention to the crime, the matter is quickly hushed up. Not only will there be no punishment, but because the Daimyo is the Shogun's younger brother, he will soon be appointed to a high political position from which he could wreak even more havoc. Convinced that the fate of the Shogunate hangs in the balance, a plot is hatched to assassinate the Daimyo. The two most brilliant strategic minds of their generation find themselves pitted against each other; one is tasked to defend a man he despises, and has a small army at his disposal. The other is given a suicide mission, and has 12 brave men. They are the 13 Assassins.

During the reign of the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Yunagaya Domain in the Tohoku region is a small han. But at the han, there is a gold mine. Suddenly, Masaatsu Naito of Yunagaya Domain receives an order to perform Sankin-kotai within 5 days. Sankin-kotai is a custom that requires the daimyo to visit the shogun in Edo. Unfortunately, the time needed to visit the shogun in Edo for Masaatsu Naito is 8 days. Masaatsu Naito also learns he received the order because a high ranking government official wants the gold mine. Also, the expense for Sankin-kotai is high and the Yunagaya Domain is such a small han that it seems impossible to complete. Nevertheless, Masaatsu Naito begins an unexpected operation to complete Sankin-kotai in 5 days.

The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.

A shogun's eldest son must do whatever it takes to survive a series of attempts on his life. He receives much-needed aid from seven warriors who are led by a strong leader.

During the Edo period, a gifted swordsman was exiled from his clan when he questioned the misconduct of his leader. Years after, his dying wife wish was for him to go back to his clan.

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.

When the Shogun Tokugawa III is in bed with a girl, she turns into a monster. The court believes she is Ninja Magic, used to frighten the lord off women so that there will be no heir. Tôma, a famous swordsman, is called in and exposes the Ninja, even discovering their leader, a beautiful young girl named Kagiroi. Guessing that she is the daughter of some ousted daimyo anxious to get back into favor, he is about to unmask her when he is taken prisoner...

Kon Ichikawa's retelling of the classic true story of Samurai honor. When a young clan lord is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), his loyal followers (now Ronin, masterless Samurai) dedicate their lives to avenging his death.

In between the original 1963 13 ASSASSINS film and the 2010 remake by Miike Takashi, Fuji TV produced a version for TV. Starring Nakadai Tatsuya and Natsuyagi Isao, with strong support from Tanba Tetsuro and Tanaka Ken, this is the ultimate tale of samurai justice carried out in a historical masterpiece. The shogun’s half-brother, Matsudaira Naritsugu has been slated to join the Roju Council of Elders as a senior adviser even though he is criminally insane. His outrageous acts cause one of his top retainers to commit ritual suicide in protest over his lord’s crimes. Alerted to these crimes, Roju Councilor Doi asks Inspector General Shmada Shinzaemon to assassinate Naritsugu before he can be seated on the council. Gathering a band of 13 (including himself), Shimada sets out on a death-defying journey to cut down the lord before he can reach Edo. Can a band of 13 samurai defeat the vile Naritsugu’s 200 man entourage and enact justice against his cruelty?

A man attacks the shogun, but does not succeed in his assassination attempt. He flees to the mountains and hides in a shed. There he finds an old man and a girl. The latter is the daughter of Shogun's former wife and also has revenge on her mind. The former is also connected to the castle. Separately a girl lives at the shogun's castle and believes in god.

The year is 1805. Napoleon ruled Europe. Ienari is the 11th Tokugawa Shogun. An incident, which was an open official secret, took place on the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Fearing attacks from within and without, the Shogunate planned to build a training castle utilizing the most advanced techniques. Two master castle architects, Sato Kikutaro and Kumai Hakuten, were selected to compete for the honor of building this castle. Lord Mizuno Dewa has even ordered the townspeople to assist both sides with their land surveys and preparations. This leads to fear on the part of farmers that their land will be taken away from them, and sets off a series of events which rock the nation to its very roots. With an all-star cast, this is an important story with relevance to current times. One of Ichikawa Utaemon's finest performances, a true classic!

Feudal lord Takuminokami Asano has been led to kill himself due to a scheme by Kozukenosuke Kira. Having no time to mourn his death, samurai Kuranosuke Oishi decides to take revenge on Kira, planning an attack with the help of accountant Chosuke Yato… but they don't have enough in their budget.

The rise to power of the famed Lady Kasuga no Tsubone, who established the 'Ooku' (the women's quarters at Edo castle) and acted as nursemaid to Tokugawa Iemitsu, the future 3rd Shogun is chronicled in this historical drama. Intrigue and suspicion abound as the two brothers Iemitsu and Tadanaga vie for the post of Shogun, while behind the scenes the remnants of the defeated Toyotomi faction, lead by Lord Ishida Mitsunari attempt to discredit the Tokugawa Shogunate and regain their former position as rulers of the nation. The hidden battles between Shogun Hidetada's wife and mistresses of the 'Ooku' come to light as they force the two brothers into a life or death struggle.

Shipwrecked African-American slaves arrive in the midst of Bakumatsu-era Japan; they soon carve out a niche in the market with their musical talents.

Set in Kyoto in the last days of the Edo Period, the bloody conflict continues between local feudal domains, which aim to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the Shogun's police and city patrol. Tajuro Kiyokawa, once the master of the sword but now a depraved samurai who left his domain putting aside his past ambition, barely makes ends meet. Toyo, a woman who runs a tavern next door, feels affection for Tajuro who guards her place against nasty customers, but he never realizes Toyo's feelings.

In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

Kazutoyo lived during the end of the Sengoku period (1546-1605). He was the first feudal lord of the fief of Tosa on the island of Shikoku. He served Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Chiyo (1557-1617) was his wife, and was known in history for her dedication and devotion to her husband (like Matsu was to Toshiie in Toshiie to Matsu). She is the daughter of a samurai who served the feudal lord Asai.

Ryōmaden is the 49th NHK Taiga drama. It was shown on NHK from January 3 to November 28, 2010 spanning 48 episodes. The story centers on the life of 19th-century Japanese historical figures Iwasaki Yatarō and Sakamoto Ryōma. It has been announced that the series will be aired in several other countries, for example Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Yoshitsune is a Japanese television drama series originally broadcast between 9 January and 11 December 2005, with a three-part special compilation being aired from 24 December to 25 December 2005. The 44th Taiga Drama, the original work is by Miyao Tomiko, screenplay by Kaneko Narito and starring Hideaki Takizawa.

Ogami Itto is a master swordsman who holds a position of high power in the Tokugawa Shogunate. Highly trusted by the Shogun, he serves as the official decapitator, assisting lords and samurai who have been ordered by the Shogun to commit seppuku. One day, Itto’s wife and members of his household are brutally murdered by a clan seeking to avenge their lord’s execution, which had been carried out by Itto. In the wake of the attack, two items are left in Itto’s home: his unhurt infant son, Daigoro, and a symbol meant to signify Itto’s betrayal of the Shogun. Disgraced by the false symbol, Itto is labeled a traitor and forced to forfeit his position. He becomes a ronin, wandering the country with his son, searching for the men who killed his wife, seeking to clear his name and avenge her death.

During the reign of the shogun, Iemitsu, an epidemic causes the population of men to greatly drop, leading to an ooku where the role of men and women are reversed. Thus, “the women become the shogun, served by 3000 handsome men”

It takes place at the time of the Shogunate rule with Shogun Hidetada and who will succeed Hidetada. A struggle for power between the family and the daimyos. Historically the Yagyu's have always been close to the Shogunate, and helped...

A story of Yagyu Jubei, master swordsman from the well-known Yagyu-Shinkage school in the Edo period. Even decades after the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, many were framing plots to topple Tokugawa's political system. The master of Yagyu-Shinkage school, Yagyu Munemori who serves the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu is commissioned to keep an eye on Daimyo lords all around Japan. Munemori's eldest son, Jubei starts a stealthy trip to fight against those who engage in secret maneuvers. Enjoy sword fighting actions between Jubei and his rivals.

The drama centers on Ashikaga Takauji's rise to power, overthrowing the Kamakura shogunate and eventually establishing the Ashikaga shogunate.

The mini-series revolves around the harem of a shogun in the Edo Period in Japan. The women jostle and compete with one another and with their lord and on occasion even wield more power than their master.

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

The 41st NHK Taiga Drama is Toshiie to Matsu. During the turbulent Warring States Era, one man's life and career intertwined with the three great generals of Japanese history-Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu. With political savvy and the support of his fiercely loyal wife, Maeda Toshiie rose to second in power in the shogunate and built up a fiefdom that encompassed Echizen, Noto and Kaga.

Tange Tenzen is made a vassal to the shogun. He is a master of the single long sword fighting style. But in order to defend the honour of his wife, Nagao Chiharu, he loses an arm and his family is also wiped out.

Zankuro Matsudaira (Ken Watanabe) is a low-grade vassal of the Tokugawa Shogun, forced to moonlight as a bodyguard and executioner to make ends meet. He also has a drinking problem, an overeating mother, and a propensity to protect the oppressed, all of which eat into his finances. His confident mother Masajo (Kyoko Kishida) is the descendant of a famous family of shogunate retainers and a mistress of the pen and sword, who regards her son as a failure.

The drama is depicting the life and times in 17th and 18th century Japan during the rule of the eighth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.