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Sanjuro poster

Sanjuro (1962)

“You cut well, but the best sword stays in its sheath!”

7.9/10 · 749 votes 1h 36m nr ActionComedyDrama

#5 of 23 films from 1962 #89 of 2168 in action

Directed by Akira Kurosawa · Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryuzo Kikushima, Shūgorō Yamamoto

▶ Trailer, images & where to stream

Overview

In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.

Cast

Toshirō Mifuneas Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin
Tatsuya Nakadaias Hanbei Muroto
Keiju Kobayashias The Spy
Yūzō Kayamaas Iori Izaka
Reiko Danas Chidori, Mutsuta's daughter
Takashi Shimuraas Kurofuji
Kamatari Fujiwaraas Takebayashi
Takako Irieas Mutsuta's wife
Masao Shimizuas Kikui
Yūnosuke Itōas Mutsuta, the Chamberlain
Akira Kuboas Samurai
Hiroshi Tachikawaas Samurai
Yoshio Tsuchiyaas Samurai
Kunie Tanakaas Samurai

Facts

Release dateJanuary 1, 1962
Runtime96 min (1h 36m) — shorter as the 1962 average of 117 min
GenresAction, Comedy, Drama
Original title椿三十郎
LanguageJA
IMDbtt0056443

More from Akira Kurosawa

Seven SamuraiSeven Samurai1954 · ★ 8.5 · 3h 27m High and LowHigh and Low1963 · ★ 8.4 · 2h 22m IkiruIkiru1952 · ★ 8.3 · 2h 23m YojimboYojimbo1961 · ★ 8.1 · 1h 50m The Hidden FortressThe Hidden Fortress1958 · ★ 8.0 · 2h 19m RashomonRashomon1950 · ★ 8.0 · 1h 28m RanRan1985 · ★ 8.0 · 2h 40m Throne of BloodThrone of Blood1957 · ★ 7.9 · 1h 48m

If you liked Sanjuro

Same genre, released within a few years, sorted by TMDB rating.

Seven SamuraiSeven Samurai1954 · ★ 8.5 · 3h 27m HarakiriHarakiri1962 · ★ 8.4 · 2h 15m The ApartmentThe Apartment1960 · ★ 8.2 · 2h 6m Il SorpassoIl Sorpasso1962 · ★ 8.2 · 1h 45m Nights of CabiriaNights of Cabiria1957 · ★ 8.0 · 1h 50m La Dolce VitaLa Dolce Vita1960 · ★ 8.0 · 2h 54m The Hidden FortressThe Hidden Fortress1958 · ★ 8.0 · 2h 19m Ben-HurBen-Hur1959 · ★ 7.9 · 3h 32m

Questions

How long is Sanjuro?
Sanjuro runs 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Is Sanjuro worth watching?
TMDB users give it 7.9/10 across 749 votes, which places it #5 of 23 films released in 1962 in this index (top 83%) and #89 among 2168 action titles.
Who directed Sanjuro?
Sanjuro was directed by Akira Kurosawa. Other well-rated titles by the same director: Seven Samurai (1954), High and Low (1963), Ikiru (1952).
Who stars in Sanjuro?
Toshirō Mifune as Sanjûrô Tsubaki / The ronin; Tatsuya Nakadai as Hanbei Muroto; Keiju Kobayashi as The Spy; Yūzō Kayama as Iori Izaka; Reiko Dan as Chidori, Mutsuta's daughter; Takashi Shimura as Kurofuji.
What is Sanjuro rated?
It carries a nr certification in its home market. Ratings differ by country.
Where can I watch the trailer for Sanjuro?
Open the title in the MTDb app for trailers, images and streaming links: https://mv.peoplentools.com/titles/22983.

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Film data and images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Ratings are TMDB user scores as of 2026-10-05.