Sanshiro Sugata

1943 1h 37m JA

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 150

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A hotheaded youth in 1880s Meiji Japan apprentices to judo master Shōgorō Yano, trading brute jujutsu bravado for discipline and humility. As Sanshirō matures, he proves judo’s spirit against old-guard challengers—including a deadly duel—while falling for his vanquished opponent’s daughter. Based on the novel by Tsuneo Tomita, son of Tomita Tsunejirō, the earliest disciple of judo.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Denjirō Ōkōchi
Shogoro Yano
Susumu Fujita
Sanshiro Sugata
Yukiko Todoroki
Sayo Murai
Ryūnosuke Tsukigata
Gennosuke Higaki
Takashi Shimura
Hansuke Murai, Sayo's father
Ranko Hanai
Osumi Kodana
Sugisaku Aoyama
Tsunetami Iimura
Ichirō Sugai
Police Chief Mishima

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Akira Kurosawa
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

83 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Sanshiro Sugata Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Akira Mimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Seiichi Suzuki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Toshio Goto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Denjirō Ōkōchi and Susumu Fujita and Yukiko Todoroki carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0036400 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akira Kurosawa directs. Akira Mimura behind the camera. Seiichi Suzuki scores. Toshio Goto cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Sanshiro Sugata Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Akira Mimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Seiichi Suzuki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Toshio Goto shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Denjirō Ōkōchi and Susumu Fujita and Yukiko Todoroki carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0036400 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 17 different titles around the world.