
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
Release Date: 1/21/1978
Runtime: 130 minutes
Languages: Japanese
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
00Companies: Toei Company
Countries: Japan

Kinnosuke Nakamura
Yagyu Tajima

Sonny Chiba
Jûbê Yagyû

Hiroki Matsukata
Iemitsu Tokugawa (Older Prince)

Teruhiko Saigō
Tadanaga Tokugawa (Younger Prince)

Reiko Ōhara
Okuni (Singer)

Yoshio Harada
Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)

Isao Natsuyagi
Shozaemon Bekki

Mikio Narita
Ayamaro Karasumasu

Toshirō Mifune
Yoshinao Tokugawa

Hiroyuki Sanada
Hayate

Etsuko Shihomi
Yagyu Akane

Kentaro Kudo
Yagyu Matajuro
2008

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