Movie: Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

Top 5 Billed Cast

Michael Auslin
Michael Auslin

Himself - Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey
Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey

Herself - Otsuma Women's University

Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain

Narrator

Michael Cooper
Michael Cooper

Himself - Former Editor, 'Monumenta Nipponica'

Luke S. Roberts
Luke S. Roberts

Himself - UC Santa Barbera

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    Japan blossomed into its Renaissance at approximately the same time as Europe. Unlike the West, it flourished not through conquest and exploration, but by fierce and defiant isolation. And the man at the heart of this empire was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord who ruled with absolute control. This period is explored through myriad voices-- the Shogun, the Samurai, the Geisha, the poet, the peasant and the Westerner who glimpsed into this secret world.

  • Release Date

    2004-05-26

  • Average

    9.5

  • Rating:

    4.8 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Kubo and the Two Strings
76%

Kubo and the Two Strings(en)

2016-08-18

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

Halo Legends
74%

Halo Legends(en)

2010-02-16

The universe of the Halo video game series is expanded in seven short animated films from Japan's greatest anime directors and studios.

The Untold History Of The United States
82%

The Untold History Of The United States(en)

2012-11-12

Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.

Red Army
74%

Red Army(en)

2015-01-23

A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
68%

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound(en)

2019-10-25

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Rama
82%

Ramayana : The Legend of Prince Rama(en)

1993-01-10

In Ayodhya, the royal palace of Kosala Kingdom in Ancient India, four princes were born to three queens, each of whom grew to great stature. Banished for 14 years due to court intrigue, Prince Rama retreated to the forest with his beautiful wife Sita. When Rama vanquishes the demons of the forest, he invites the wrath of the demon king Ravana, who kidnaps Sita. Based on the Indian epic the Ramayana.

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction
69%

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction(en)

2013-09-11

An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.

Raya and the Last Dragon
78%

Raya and the Last Dragon(en)

2021-03-03

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

Above Majestic
74%

Above Majestic(en)

2018-10-30

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
70%

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(en)

2018-10-12

A documentary exploring the legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the reasons it went from the black sheep of Star Trek to a beloved mainstay of the franchise, and a brainstorm with the original writers on what a theoretical eighth season of the show could look like.

Ronaldo
70%

Ronaldo(en)

2015-11-09

Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.

Vixen: The Movie
68%

Vixen: The Movie(en)

2017-05-08

Originally from Africa, Mari McCabe grew up an orphan after her parents were killed by local greed, corruption and wanton violence. But Mari refuses to succumb to the terrors surrounding her. Inheriting her family's Anansi Totem, Mari can access the powers of animals - anything from the super-strength of a gorilla to the speed of a cheetah. As Vixen, she fights valiantly to protect the world from threats like those that claimed her family.

Heavenly Sword
63%

Heavenly Sword(en)

2014-06-30

The film's plot follows that of the game closely. Nariko, a member of an ancient tribe who have guarded an ancient magical sword for thousands of years, is charged with bringing the sword to its destined wielder, a deity reincarnated who will bring peace to the land. But on her quest, Nariko must wield the sword herself against the forces of King Bohan, who wishes to possess the weapon himself.

To Be Takei
72%

To Be Takei(en)

2014-08-22

Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
76%

End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones(en)

2003-01-19

A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.

Heart of a Dog
65%

Heart of a Dog(en)

2015-10-21

Lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother, her beloved dog, and such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings.

DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year
59%

DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year(en)

2016-08-09

Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy and Katana band together to navigate the twists and turns of high school in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year.

Kim Possible: A Sitch In Time
67%

Kim Possible: A Sitch In Time(en)

2003-11-28

Kim and Ron start a new school year, only to learn that Ron's family is moving to Norway. This puts a strain on their partnership, just as Dr. Drakken, Monkey Fist, and Duff Killigan team up to find and use an ancient time travel device to rule the world. Attacking Kim in the past, present, and future, can these villians succeed? Or will an unforeseen force be more destructive?

Hilda and the Mountain King
76%

Hilda and the Mountain King(en)

2021-12-30

When Hilda wakes up in the body of a troll, she must use her wits and courage to get back home, become human again — and save the city of Trolberg.

Epic
65%

Epic(en)

2013-05-15

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world—and ours.

Similar Movies

The Bridge on the River Kwai
78%

The Bridge on the River Kwai(en)

1957-10-11

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

Goryokaku
0%

Goryokaku(ja)

1988-12-30

After the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, there was a series of battles fought while the former supporters of the Tokugawa shogunate retreated to the north where they actually started a sovereign nation that was recognized by more than one European country. Survivors of the Shinsengumi were among the followers of Enomoto Takeaki who took them to the northernmost island of Ezo where they fought their final battle at the star shaped fort, Goryokaku. The Japanese Civil Wars fought in the name of the emperor signaled the complete end of the feudal system and Japan’s entry into the modern world as those brave samurai tried to halt progress and learned that the age of modern warfare and weaponry had passed them by. Swords were no match for rifles and cannons, nor was any man a match for the power of the imperial flag. Japanese loyalty to the emperor has long defined the nation and culture despite the changing times.

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
76%

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness(ja)

2013-11-16

Follows the behind-the-scenes work of Studio Ghibli, focusing on the notable figures Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.

Flags of Our Fathers
69%

Flags of Our Fathers(en)

2006-10-19

There were five Marines and one Navy Corpsman photographed raising the U.S. flag on Mt. Suribachi by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. This is the story of three of the six surviving servicemen - John 'Doc' Bradley, Pvt. Rene Gagnon and Pvt. Ira Hayes - who fought in the battle to take Iwo Jima from the Japanese.

Throne of Blood
79%

Throne of Blood(ja)

1957-01-15

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 him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

The Witches of the Orient
65%

The Witches of the Orient(fr)

2021-07-16

The Japanese volleyball players called the “Oriental Witches” are now in their 70s. From the formation of the team at the factory until their victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, memories and legends rise to the surface and blend inextricably.

Memoirs of a Geisha
76%

Memoirs of a Geisha(en)

2005-12-06

In the years before World War II, a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house.

Osomatsu-kun: Iyami Alone in the Wind
100%

Osomatsu-kun: Iyami Alone in the Wind(ja)

1990-08-25

In an Edo-period retelling of "City Lights", Iyami, a poor beggar, befriends a flower-selling blind young girl. Through the ups and downs of their friendship, Iyami strives to find a way to make her see again.

Bored Hatamoto: Mysterious Letter of Challenge
0%

Bored Hatamoto: Mysterious Letter of Challenge(ja)

1955-12-28

Bored Hatamoto film #19

Raise Your Arms and Twist! Documentary of NMB48
57%

Raise Your Arms and Twist! Documentary of NMB48(ja)

2016-01-29

Launched in 2011 as a sister group to girl band behemoth AKB48, the Osaka-based NMB48 has become a musical force itself. With a string of No.1 hit singles and albums, not to mention sell-out performances, NMB48 continues Japan’s pop-music phenomena. Director Funahashi Atsushi, whose documentary work has previously chronicled such harrowing events as the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, pulls back the curtain on the life and struggles of the band members and the workings of the idol-making industry.

Bored Hatamoto Detective, Part 1: The Seven Brides
0%

Bored Hatamoto Detective, Part 1: The Seven Brides(ja)

1950-09-23

Bored Hatamoto film #10

Bored Hatamoto Detective, Part 2: Poisoning of the Demon Lord
0%

Bored Hatamoto Detective, Part 2: Poisoning of the Demon Lord(ja)

1950-10-07

Bored Hatamoto movie #11

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final
77%

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final(ja)

2021-04-23

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.

Ninomiya Kinjirou
0%

Ninomiya Kinjirou(ja)

2019-06-01

Ninomiya Kinjirou is a biopic follows the life of the eponymous character, an 18th century peasant boy who worked to rescue over 600 poor villages and hamlets from financial ruin by developing new economic policies.

Bloody Battle at Dawn
50%

Bloody Battle at Dawn(ja)

1959-10-10

A story of revenge between two samurai families on the Igagoe Road. Araki Mataemon born in the province of Iga. He studied the art of the sword under the Yagyu family. He helped the younger brother of his wife Watanabe Kazuma take revenge on his enemy Kawai Matagoro. Ichikawa Utaemon plays Araki Matemon and his son Kinya Kataoji plays Kazuma.

Kubi
69%

Kubi(ja)

2023-11-23

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.

Fall of the Shogun's Militia
70%

Fall of the Shogun's Militia(ja)

1954-11-22

Kondo Isami, the “Devil” commander of the Shinsengumi was one of Japan’s greatest national heroes and a peerless swordsman who devoted his life to protecting the shogun and fighting on the side of the Tokugawa. This tells the story of the Shinsengumi starting at the moment of their greatest triumph through the final battles as the Tokugawa shogunate was brought down.

A Free Man
0%

A Free Man(de)

2017-03-05

22-year-old Kei refuses to conform to the Japanese achievement-oriented society. He is homeless by choice, living on the streets and under the bridges of Kyoto. His love for nature and music keeps him afloat in his dream world. However, when he runs out of money, he is forced to face reality.

Bored Hatamoto on Mt. Fuji
0%

Bored Hatamoto on Mt. Fuji(ja)

1937-01-05

Bored Hatamoto film #8